SHAH ALAM: Pharmaniaga Bhd expects to supply the Sinovac vaccine doses from its facilities to the state governments and the private sector by the end of June.
Group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the plan, however, was dependent on the government's contract obligations that the company has to comply with.
"We have informed the DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng yesterday about the capacity (production) as well as the company's obligation to the government. Once we complete the obligations (to supply vaccines) to the government, then we can supply to the private sector.
"Therefore, the company expects to start supplying vaccines to the state governments and the private sector either in the third or fourth week of June," he told media at the online media briefing on its first quarter (Q1) 2021 results today.
Meanwhile, as part of its long-term sustainable growth plans driven by iconic initiatives in place, Pharmaniaga aims to accelerate the growth of its vaccine manufacturing business by embarking on a Halal vaccine project.
Deputy managing director Mohamed Iqbal Abdul Rahman said the company had finalised its vaccine's partners to embark on the project.
The partners included Serum Institute of India, Sinovac Biotech Ltd, Sinopharm, SK Chemicals, BioNet, Zydus Cadila, Biological E. Limited, The Saint Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums (SPbSRIVS), Bio Farma, EuBiologics Co and Techinvention Lifecare.
"We have finalised our 12 vaccines that will be in our roadmap. We have added the Covid-19 vaccine, and that will make a total of 13 vaccines in our roadmap.
"We have identified six vaccines for trading, these are low volume but are critical for the nation. Five vaccines for fill and finish, this is a sizable volume for Malaysia, so we have signed an agreement with various partners to do fill and finish in Malaysia.
"The other one will be the development of a new vaccine, which we are working with BioNet in Thailand. With that we will have our owned IP to our vaccine so we can sell it throughout the country," Iqbal said.
He said this would see the company establishing the world's first Halal vaccine facility, which is targeted for completion by 2024.
"Once we complete this project in two years, this will be the first Halal vaccine facility in the world. A lot of companies are producing Halal vaccines, but there will be a mix of multiple vaccines. However, in our case only halal vaccines will be produced by our company in Malaysia," he said.