KeyPlants Ships First-of-its-Kind Vaccine Manufacturing Facility to Africa

KeyPlants, a Swedish provider of innovative life science facilities and PODs, announced on March 29, 2022 that it has shipped a first-of-its-kind vaccine manufacturing filling facility to Senegal in West Africa. The shipment of the facility was completed in less than eight months.

The facility will be the only regional manufacturing hub in Africa outside of South Africa that is capable of producing finished COVID-19 vaccines as well as other life-saving vaccines, according to the company. The facility is expected to become fully operational later in 2022.

The shipment of the facility is a step towards the materialization of Project MADIBA, led by Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), a non-profit foundation focused on promoting public health in Senegal and throughout Africa. Project MADIBA has the capacity to produce up to 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses annually, revolutionizing access to vaccines in Africa.

Project MADIBA has the ability to produce other therapeutics in addition to messenger RNA vaccines as well as align with the evolving needs of the local community due to the facility’s design. The facility’s portable and prefabricated design and multi-suite drug substance and fill/finish capabilities allow for a more sustainable and secure infrastructure of vaccine access.

“We are proud to leverage our extensive experience and expertise in modular facilities and off-site manufacturing to drive forward this important project,” said Jörgen Harrysson, CEO of KeyPlants, in a press release.“By doing so, we will help provide crucial access to lifesaving therapeutics for the African population.”

Source: KeyPlants