Sanofi to Provide Its COVID-19 Vaccines for COVAX Initiative, Incld. Vietnam

Sanofi Pasteur will provide its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines from its 2021-2022 supplies for the Gavi COVAX Facility Advance Market Commitment (COVAX AMC), including Vietnam, to improve vaccine access for Pacific and Southeast Asian countries, said General Manager Vaccines Indochina (Vietnam & Cambodia) Mr. David Tick. at Sanofi Pasteur. Mr. David revealed the information in a recent interview with the local Zing News newswire about the pharmaceutical industry amid the complicated COVID-19 developments. Sanofi has studied two COVID-19 vaccine candidates, he said, estimating one of the two will be introduced to the market in mid-2021 if all testing and licensing procedures happen as planned. Considering all aspects, Vietnam and Cambodia still have great potentials to develop the vaccine sector in particular and the pharmaceutical in general. Since 2018, Sanofi Pasteur has had two official distributors in Vietnam, namely Saigon Pharmaceutical Co. (Sapharco) in the central and southern regions and Hanoi Pharmaceutical and Medical Equipment Import-Export JSC. (Hapharco) in the northern region. The firm has invested $75 million in a modern factory in Ho Chi Minh City Hi-tech Park with its annual capacity of 90 million boxes, 20% of which can be exported to some Asian countries and Australia. (Zing)