Manufacturing of vaccine
On the other hand, it has been decided that the Chinese vaccine, Cansino, will be filled at the filling plant of the National Institute of Health (NIH) which will help cut its cost by 30pc. It will also pave the way for vaccine manufacturing in Pakistan under public-private partnership.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (Drap) has already notified two formulas for sale with 40pc mark-up for companies and additional 15pc for retailers/hospitals.
Besides, a summary has been submitted to the federal cabinet, suggesting the price of Russian vaccine Sputnik V at Rs8,449 per pack (two injections) and that of Cansino (a single dose vaccine) at Rs4,225. However, the vaccine will not be sold or distributed in the market and will be administered in private hospitals and institutions.
Technical Adviser of AGM Pharma Dr Hassan Abbas Zaheer, while talking to Dawn, said Cansino vaccine would be brought in bulk in Pakistan and from next month would be packed at a filling plant in NIH.
“It will reduce the price of the vaccine by up to 30pc (around Rs3,000) and at a later stage, it will be manufactured in Pakistan through transfer of technology. This has been made possible because the clinical trial of Cansino was held in Pakistan,” Dr Zaheer said.
It is worth mentioning that AGM Pharma has registered the vaccine in Pakistan.
The technical adviser said Pakistan was insecure in terms of vaccine manufacturing, but soon it would become a secure country as vaccine production would begin here and dependence on other nations would end.
“The vaccine will be manufactured under public-private partnership project. Currently India’s vaccine manufacturing industry is worth $5 billion. Pakistan can also start producing a number of vaccines including Covid-19,” he said.
Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2021
