The UAE is already producing the Hayat-Vax COVID-19 vaccine in country, according to WAM.
The UAE’s Julphar is producing the vaccine with Sinopharm CNBG at a capacity of two million doses per month, according to a statement from UAE state news agency WAM.
To increase capacity, a vaccine plant will be built in KIZAD and become operational within 2021, and through phased development will reach a capacity of 200 million doses per annum across three filling lines and five automated packaging lines. Comparatively speaking, Sinopharm itself has supplied 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine globally since its launch last fall.
The UAE will also have a purpose-built research and development hub for life sciences, biotechnology and vaccine production, the first-of-its-kind in the Arab world, that is being set up in KIZAD, the integrated trade, logistics and industrial hub in Abu Dhabi.
Last year, G42 and Sinopharm CNBG successfully collaborated on conducting 4Humanity, the world’s first phase III clinical trial of inactivated vaccines across the Pan Arab region with over 43,000 volunteers participating from over 125 nationalities.
“The advancement in Life Sciences and Vaccine Manufacturing in our country is UAE’s contribution towards global efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the whole world. The UAE, with the guidance of its wise leadership, believes in the importance of strengthening collective international action,” said His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said.
Hayat-Vax is the same Sinopharm CNBG’s BiBP iactivated vaccine that was officially registered by the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) on 9th December 2020 and subsequently in China by the Chinese Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) on 30th December 2020 following the updated Sinopharm interim results submitted in China showing 79.34 per cent efficacy, according to WAM.
Two weeks ago, the UAE national vaccination programme achieved the vaccination of over 52 percent of the country’s population.
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