South African pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare will package, sell and distribute Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines under its own brand in Africa after finalizing an agreement with the American company.
The deal makes Aspen the first African company to have a right to distribute and price the vaccine under its own brand name: Aspenovax.
“Under the Agreement, Aspen has secured the enabling intellectual property from Johnson & Johnson and there is a good faith undertaking between the Parties to discuss the expansion of the Agreement to include any new versions of the drug substance, such as those developed for new variants or a different formulation for administration as a booster, and the applicable terms thereof,” Aspen said in a statement.
The agreement between the companies runs until the end of 2026, the statement added.
In November, Aspen and subsidiaries of the U.S. drugmaker signed non-binding terms edging Aspen closer to securing the landmark licensing deal.
Aspen Group Chief Executive Stephen Saad welcomed the signing of the deal saying the dream of Africa’s own vaccine had become a reality.
“This has been achieved through tremendous teamwork and collaboration between Johnson & Johnson and Aspen. Through this agreement and their earlier actions, Johnson & Johnson has demonstrated its commitment to our continent,” Saad said.
“With Aspenovax, it is our intention to build off the base we have already founded and contribute to providing equitable access to the COVID vaccine on our continent.”
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti also praised the agreement noting that local production was an essential recipe for Africa to succeed in defeating the pandemic.
“This important agreement, on sharing know-how and technologies for the production of COVID-19 vaccines, is a huge leap forward towards realising our shared vision for medicines and vaccines to be manufactured on the African soil for the African people.”
(Story compiled with assistance from wire reports)
