Biovac partners with Biological E to bring pneumonia vaccine manufacturing to Africa

SOUTH AFRICA—Biovac, a biopharmaceutical company based in Cape Town, South Africa, has entered into a significant technology transfer agreement with India’s Biological E to manufacture and distribute a pneumonia vaccine across Africa.

This partnership aims to address the continent’s high burden of pneumococcal disease by providing a locally produced vaccine, thereby enhancing vaccine accessibility and self-sufficiency in Africa.

The vaccine involved in this collaboration is Biological E’s PCV14, a 14-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine that offers broad protection against multiple serotypes of the pneumococcus bacteria.

In clinical trials, PCV14 demonstrated non-inferiority to Prevenar 13, a widely used vaccine, for all shared serotypes.

The vaccine is already licensed for use in India and is currently undergoing World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification, which will enable its availability through global health platforms such as UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

The technology transfer process to Biovac is expected to take approximately three years, including the time needed for regulatory approvals.

Once completed, this will enable Biovac to manufacture PCV14 locally, supporting the African Union Commission and Africa CDC’s goal of producing 60% of vaccines used in Africa on the continent by 2040.

Currently, Africa produces only about 1% of its vaccines, so this initiative represents a crucial step toward vaccine independence, pandemic preparedness, and sustainable healthcare infrastructure.

Pneumococcal infections are a major cause of serious illnesses such as pneumonia, bacterial meningitis, and sepsis, particularly affecting children under five years old.

The World Health Organization estimated that in 2005, pneumococcal disease caused approximately 1.6 million child deaths worldwide.

Although this number has decreased due to vaccination efforts, there remains a pressing need for newer and more effective vaccines to continue reducing this burden.

Dr. Morena Makhoana, CEO of Biovac, emphasized the company’s commitment to expanding its reach beyond South Africa by partnering with organizations that align with the needs of African populations.

He highlighted the longstanding collaboration between Biovac and Biological E on vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, and measles-rubella.

He expressed optimism about strengthening this partnership through the introduction of the higher-valency pneumococcal vaccine.

Dr. Makhoana also noted that this initiative supports Africa CDC’s vision for vaccine manufacturing and self-sufficiency on the continent.

Mahima Datla, Managing Director of Biological E, expressed pride in the agreement, highlighting its potential to improve global public health by building manufacturing capacity in Africa and protecting children from pneumococcal diseases.

Meanwhile, Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, welcomed the technology transfer as a vital step toward increasing the supply of pneumococcal vaccines and advancing sustainable vaccine production in Africa.

Gavi’s AVMA (Advance Market Commitment for Vaccines in Africa) mechanism specifically incentivizes investments in vaccines that address critical health needs, making this partnership strategically crucial for the continent.

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