Pharmaniaga’s halal vaccine, insulin plants to reduce drug import dependency

Pharmaniaga’s halal vaccine, insulin plants to reduce drug import dependency

21 Oct 2022

Pharmaniaga LifeScience Sdn Bhd’s (PLS) halal vaccine and insulin plants, to be completed by 2024 and 2025 respectively, will assist the country in becoming self-sufficient and reduce import dependency on critical vaccines and insulin.

In a statement on Friday (Oct 21), its parent company Pharmaniaga Bhd (Pharmaniaga) said construction progress stood at 90% completion for the vaccine plant and 70% for the insulin plant.

PLS has targeted the vaccine and insulin commercialisation in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the plants would also provide drug security for the nation against any future pandemic threats.

“These halal vaccine and insulin projects undertaken at our European Union-certified high-technology plant are the world’s first effort, in line with the group’s strategic growth pillar that would spur the future growth of the halal biopharmaceutical industry of the nation,” he said.

Zulkarnain said the PLS would team up with reputable partners for technology transfers. As such, parallelly, registration is ongoing, with authorities for the product to be produced in the facility.

In early October, PLS received shipments of equipment for the vaccine plant, which consisted of washer-sterilisers, denester, and automatic visual inspection machines, after completing the factory acceptance tests in July 2022.

Pharmaniaga’s manufacturing division comprises six manufacturing plants across Malaysia and two in Indonesia. Their products range from pharmaceuticals to nutraceuticals.

Source: Bernama