KeyPlants, a provider of life science facilities and PODs, has shipped a vaccine manufacturing filling facility to Senegal in West Africa. The company reportedly completed and shipped the facility in less than 8 months.
After the facility is installed and operational later in 2022, it will produce COVID-19 and other life-saving vaccines.
The facility is being shipped as part of Project MADIBA, led by Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), a non-profit foundation concerned with promoting public health and well-being in Senegal and throughout Africa. The project is supported by the government of Senegal, Africa CDC, WHO, CEPI along with a global collaboration of funders and companies. These include KeyPlants and MEDInstill, which provides the vaccine manufacturing equipment utilised in the facility.
The project aims to create a financially sustainable and autonomous infrastructure to secure vaccine access in Africa.
The facility’s multi-suite drug substance and fill-finish capabilities will enable the manufacture of additional therapeutics beyond mRNA vaccines. Additionally, the portable and prefabricated design of the facility will provide scope to scale-up in line with the evolving needs of the local community.
Dr Amadou Sall, Director of Institut Pasteur de Dakar, commented: “Over a year after lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines were made broadly available to high-income countries, only 15 percent of Africa has been fully immunised. Against this backdrop, IPD remains focused on our vision to build and operate a vaccine manufacturing facility in Senegal that can produce vaccines for Africa as soon as possible.”
Jörgen Harrysson, CEO of KeyPlants, said: “We are proud to leverage our extensive experience and expertise in modular facilities and off-site manufacturing to drive forward this important project. By doing so, we will help provide crucial access to lifesaving therapeutics for the African population.”