KSA to produce vaccines for childhood diseases

In a first of its kind development in the Kingdom’s medical field, three companies — GSK Vaccines, Arab Company for Pharmaceutical Products (ARABIO) and Glaxo Saudi Arabia Limited (GSAL) — signed a tripartite agreement on Sunday for the manufacture of vaccines in Saudi Arabia to prevent childhood diseases in the Gulf region.
The agreement was signed under the aegis of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and in the presence of Princess Astrid of Belgium, Deputy Health Minister for Planning and Development Dr. Mohammad bin Hamza Khosheim, and Belgian Ministers Didier Reynders and Jean-Claude Marcourt. GSK Vaccines is a leading vaccines company headquartered in Belgium.
“The partnership’s objectives are to ensure the development of a robust vaccines manufacturing capability in Saudi Arabia, to improve sustainability of vaccines supply in this key country of the Gulf region, and to enable the supply of vaccines for the vaccination programs of the Gulf Cooperation Council member-countries,” Masood Jaffery, general manager of GSK Saudi Arabia and managing director of GSAL, said following the signing ceremony.
He said that key vaccines developed at the global headquarters of GSK in Belgium such as Infanrix Hexa® or Rotarix® will be locally manufactured and supplied to protect children in the Gulf region against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, polio, haemophilus influenza type B and rotavirus.
Pursuant to this tripartite agreement, GSK Vaccines will provide technical support and know-how to GSAL and ARABIO with regard to manufacturing processes, including training of local employees.
“This agreement reflects the vision of Minister of Health Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah in supporting strategic alliance initiatives in the health care field, including the local manufacturing of vaccines. Such an initiative will strengthen health security in the Kingdom and other Gulf countries. Moreover, it will diversify the economic base shifting toward knowledge-based economy and develop new competencies for Saudi citizens in the pharmaceutical and biological industry,” Chairman of Arabio Khalid bin Ahmed Juffali said.
Expressing his thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the manufacturing project, Dr. Majed Saeed Bahatheq, general manager of Arabio, said: “This partnership between GSK — the global company for vaccines’ manufacture — and Glaxo Saudi Arabia reflects the trust of international companies seeking to invest in Saudi Arabia in an industrial sector requiring high precision, such as vaccine manufacture that takes place in few countries in the world.”
This agreement, he said, was definitely a reason for the government and the people to take pride in as a significant proof of the industrial and cultural progress in the Kingdom and the success of the pharmaceutical industry as well.
Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, Strategic Alliance and Business Development of GSK Vaccines Antoon Loomans stressed that this partnership highlights the recognition and reputation across the world of GSK in the field of vaccines.
“This partnership meets the Saudi government’s objective to improve regional security by developing local vaccine manufacturing capability. We are proud that our company has been once again in a position to build a strategic alliance in a key region to improve access to our innovative vaccines,” he said.