18
The Health | august-September, 2020
| Industry |
Duopharma’s
vaccine bottling
advantage
It is the sole company in the country
with an accredited fill-and-finish line
dedicated to human vaccines
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN
When it comes to bottling
and packaging injectable
vaccines, four companies in
Malaysia have fill-and-finish
line facilities. They are,
Kotra Pharma (M) Sdn
Bhd, Pharmaniaga Holdings Berhad, YSP
Southeast Asia Holding Berhad and
Duopharma Biotech Berhad.
However, of the four, only Duopharma
Biotech has an advantage in that it
already has an existing fill-and-finish line
dedicated solely to human vaccines which
is also accredited.
The other three do mostly fill-and-finish
process for standard pharmaceutical
injections such as penicillin. Thus, the lines
are not compatible with human vaccines
bottling and packaging.
These three companies will require to
repurpose and convert their existing line
facility to accommodate the fill-and-finish
process for human vaccines, which would
take some time. They will also need to get
them accredited.
Moreover, Duopharma Biotech’s
existing line dedicated to human vaccines
is currently not utilised. In case a
successful Covid-19 vaccine is developed,
the company can start the fill-and-finish
process almost immediately.
The fill-and-finish process is one where
the active agent of a pharmaceutical
product is mixed into its final form (like
liquid or powder) and filling and sealing
it into final containers (like prefilled
syringes or vials).
“We are the only company that has a
dedicated facility for fill-and-finish that
has been accredited by the regulatory body
for a human vaccine,” Duopharma Biotech
Group Managing Director Leonard Ariff
Abdul Shatar told The Health.
The listed company is also the most
experienced in halal vaccination.
According to Leonard Ariff, it has been
working on halal vaccines for almost 10
years.
He adds: “We are working with
different partners with different
successes. In fact, at the moment we are
working with the US government on halal
meningitis vaccine. We believe there is a
global market for it.
On the issue of halal, he said it would
be easier to manage the halal concerns
if the manufacturers focused on the
manufacturing process. If they were to
do the fill-and-finish as well, they would
need to use a multi-line and therefore risk
contamination.
“Hence, we set up the fill-and-finish
facility in Malaysia to avoid such
contamination. We can bring the vaccines
here and do the fill-and-finishing.”
Capacity
Duopharma Biotech’s facility is designed
for the local domestic market, and its
fill-and-finish capacity is approximately
12 million vials per year.
Will this be sufficient for the Malaysian
population?
“It depends on the dosage level of the
vaccine,” said Leonard Ariff, explaining
that some vials can inoculate only one
person while others can inoculate 10
people.
“Therefore, if one vial can inoculate
10 people, then the 12 million vials could
inoculate 120 million people, which
is more than sufficient to cater to our
population.
“As I understand, the Malaysian
government is in contact with various
companies around the world for potential
vaccines.”
During the Dewan Rakyat questionand-answer
session on July 28, Science,
Technology and Innovation (MOSTI)
Minister Khairy Jamaluddin disclosed
that Malaysia was talking to China about
vaccine development by companies and
institutions.
Taking into account
halal considerations
Leonard noted that many Chinese vaccine
manufacturers were way ahead in the
process of developing potential vaccines.
“We have suggested to the Malaysian
government that they should prompt the
manufacturers of potential vaccines to
take halal into consideration.”
The Covid-19 virus, which first emerged
in late 2019, has about 15 mutated strains,
and it is a long shot to have a vaccine that
will protect us against all 15 mutations of
the virus.
Leonard Ariff cautioned: “We need to be
cautious. Comparatively, at the moment,
dengue has five mutated strains, and we
have no vaccine for it.
“The prospect of having a vaccine to
Therefore, if one vial can inoculate
10 people, then the 12 million vials
could inoculate 120 million people,
which is more than sufficient
to cater to our population. As
I understand, the Malaysian
government is in contact with
various companies around the
world for potential vaccines.”
– Leonard Ariff
protect against all 15 mutations is slim.
We are more likely to have a successful
vaccine which would cover one or two
mutations,” he said, adding that the public
will need to learn to live with the virus by
embracing the new normal.
Vaccines are essential only if there
is a successful one developed. In the
meantime, the priority is to ensure
the supply of standard anti-viral
medications is sufficient to manage the
disease.
“All deaths are occurring at stage four
and five. It is best to manage the disease
so that it does not progress to more severe
stages where patients would need oxygen
support and be intubated.
Buoyant share price
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic,
Duopharma Biotech’s business
performance continues to grow. It has
maintained its position as the leading
pharmaceutical company in Malaysia in
terms of sales volume and second in terms
of sales value.
Its shares have also been doing well
especially with the recent announcement
that it is one of two companies identified
by the Malaysian government as having
the capacity to undertake the Covid-19
vaccine bottling once a vaccine is
developed. Its shares have soared from
below RM2 before the announcement on
July 14 to above RM3 as of Aug 5.
The government had identified
Duopharma Biotech and Pharmaniaga for
the fill-and-finish bottling. — The Health