Aspen Pharmacare Holdings will supply the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson within the next three months, putting Africa\u2019s biggest drugmaker \u201cright up front of producing this vaccine globally,\u201d chief executive officer Stephen Saad said.<\/p>\n
Since agreeing in November to produce as many as\u00a0300 million doses a year\u00a0at its plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Aspen has adopted the technology needed for production, Saad said in an interview Friday.<\/p>\n
The company has sufficient capacity to more than double that output if needed, he said.<\/p>\n
Next, Aspen needs to produce three batches identical to the end product. Once that target is met, Aspen can apply for registration and then sell its supply of the J&J vaccine, which received\u00a0clearance in the European Union this week after an emergency use authorization in the US.<\/p>\n
Aspen\u2019s heft could help a continent with otherwise\u00a0limited vaccine manufacturing\u00a0capacity and alleviate some concerns that poorer nations will be left without supplies due to the huge demand from richer countries.<\/p>\n
South Africa is \u201cin a great position as a country around procurement of vaccines because of what Aspen can offer,\u201d Saad said.<\/p>\n
The company, which on Thursday said it plans to resume paying dividends after a two-year break enforced by debt levels, is now in a position to make acquisitions.<\/p>\n
Any purchases would be \u201cadditive rather than transformative,\u201d Saad said. Aspen would look at countries or business areas in which it already operates, including buying sterile products, which are mostly used in hospitals, or a vaccine, he said.<\/p>\n