Morocco launches manufacturing of anti-Covid19 & other vaccines
King Mohammed VI chaired this Monday July 5 at the Royal Palace of Fez, the launch ceremony of a project related to fill & finish operation of the anti-Covid19 vaccine and other vaccines in Morocco, with a production capacity expected to reach 5 million doses of Covid19 vaccine per month in the short-term.
The King also presided over the signing of three conventions related to the project of manufacturing and distributing the COVID-19 vaccines and other major vaccines in Morocco, the Royal Office announced in a statement, indicating that the project seeks to enable Morocco to secure self-sufficiency in the sector and to make Morocco a leading biotechnology platform on the African continent and the world in the field of the fill & finish industry.
This structuring project, which will require an overall investment of about $500 million, is part of the Sovereign’s willingness to provide the Kingdom with complete and integrated industrial and biotechnological capacities, dedicated to the manufacture of vaccines in Morocco, the statement said.
The project, which is the result of a public-private partnership, intends to start in the short term with a production capacity of 5 million doses of Covid19 vaccine per month, before gradually increasing this capacity in the medium term. The project will require an overall investment of about $500 million.
The royal cabinet’s statement noted that the launch of the project follows talks between King Mohammed VI and Chinese President Xi Jinping on August 31, 2020.
The call focused on Morocco and China’s partnership in combatting the pandemic.
With the launch of this large-scale Moroccan-Chinese partnership Morocco is making a further step in the achievement of the Royal vision for an effective and proactive management of the pandemic crisis and its consequences.
While strengthening the Kingdom’s health sovereignty, the project confirms Morocco’s international influence and reinforces its vocation as a provider of health security within its regional and continental environment, in the face of health risks, external dependencies and political contingencies, the Royal Office said.
At the beginning of this ceremony, and after an introductory speech by the minister of Health, international expert in industrial biotechnology and current vice-president of Samsung Biologics, Samir Machour, made a presentation on the project of fill-finish manufacturing in Morocco of the anti-Covid19 vaccine and other vaccines.
Afterwards, CEO of the Sinopharm Group, Liu Jingzhen, made a remote presentation from China, while CEO of Recipharm, Marc Funk, presented their vision on the project to establish vaccine manufacturing in Morocco.
After the presentation of the objectives and components of the project, three agreements were signed before the King.
They include a Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation for the anti-Covid19 vaccine between the Moroccan State and the National Pharmaceutical Group of China (SINOPHARM), signed by minister of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb, and president of the Sinopharm Group, Liu Jingzhen.
A second MoU on the establishment of vaccine manufacturing capacities in Morocco between the Moroccan State and Recipharm company was signed by minister of Economy & Finance and chairman of the board of directors of the Mohammed VI Fund for Investment, Mohamed Benchaaboune, CEO of Recipharm, Marc Funk, and the representative of the consortium of Moroccan banks, Othmane Benjelloun.
A third agreement relates to the contract for the provision to the Moroccan State of the aseptic filling facilities of the Société de Thérapeutique Marocaine (Sothema) for the manufacturing of the anti-Covid19 vaccine owned by Sinopharm between the Moroccan State and Sothema, signed by minister of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb, and CEO of Sothema, Lamia Tazi.
