Biotech Companies Team Up to Develop African Covid Vaccine
- Afrigen and Belgium’s Univercells sign mRNA agreement
- Partners aim to develop first African-owned Covid shot
Afrigen and the Univercells Group aim to build on expertise developed through the WHO’s messenger RNA vaccine hub.
Photographer: Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
South African biotech company Afrigen Biologics will work with a Belgian partner to develop the first African-owned Covid-19 shot as part of a broader effort to reduce the continent’s reliance on other regions for vaccines.
Afrigen and the Univercells Group aim to build on expertise developed through the World Health Organization’s messenger RNA vaccine hub, the companies said in a statement Tuesday. Afrigen, based in Cape Town, said it’s working to facilitate the production of mRNA vaccines at more than 15 manufacturing sites in low- and middle-income nations across the world.