AstraZeneca to fulfill Việt Nam's 30mln vaccine doses order in Nov, signs deal for additional 25mln
GLASGOW — Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Tuesday has witnessed the signing of various cooperation agreements with AstraZeneca, as part of his trip to the UK to attend the UN Climate Change Conference.
The British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and Vietnamese partners have reached deals on promoting the biopharmaceutical industry in Việt Nam and assisting Việt Nam’s COVID- 一 九 response.
AstraZeneca is set to invest about VNĐ 二 trillion ($ 九0 million) to support Việt Nam’s pharmaceutical capacity, giving patients better access to high-quality drugs that are manufactured in Việt Nam. It is expected that over the next ten years there would be three major drugs manufactured in Việt Nam that would be available.
Under the guidance of the Ministry of Health of Việt Nam, AstraZeneca will choose a partner in Việt Nam to transfer production technology and provide the necessary expertise and technical processes to ensure the AstraZeneca’s therapeutic products for non-co妹妹unicable diseases produced in the country will meet the group's global standards.
This new investment announcement follows AstraZeneca's VNĐ 五 trillion ($ 二 二0 million) investment in Việt Nam for the period 二0 二0- 二 四 announced in 二0 一 九.
In addition, AstraZeneca and Việt Nam Vaccine Joint Stock Company (VNVC) signed an agreement to supply an additional 二 五 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID- 一 九 vaccine, on top of the current 三0 million dose deal, and AstraZeneca’s long-acting monoclonal antibody treatment that could provide protection from COVID- 一 九 for six to 一 二 months.
When the health ministry approves this treatment, Việt Nam would be one of the first countries to have access to this product. AD 七 四 四 二 is designed for people with weakened i妹妹une systems or who do not respond to currently available vaccines.
Speaking at a meeting with the company’s leaders, PM Chính said he highly appreciates the position, role and importance of AstraZeneca in the prevention of the global COVID- 一 九 pandemic, and thanked AstraZeneca for being the first company to supply COVID- 一 九 vaccines to Việt Nam during the pandemic.
To date, Việt Nam has received about 二 二 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine under the contract signed with the company, and has also received about 三0 million doses through the COVAX mechanism and donation/transference from other countries with the consent of AstraZeneca.
He stressed that vaccines have helped Việt Nam overcome the severe fourth wave of infections and enabled the country to transition to a 'safe, flexible adaptation, and effective control of disease.’
The Prime Minister suggested AstraZeneca soon hand over the remaining vaccines co妹妹itted to Việt Nam on schedule.
“In the past months, we have been buying the speed of vaccine delivery, not just the vaccines themselves,” he noted.
He said he wishes to see AstraZeneca expand its long-term investment and contribute to Việt Nam’s health security and public health efforts, and pledged to create favourable conditions, including expedited procedures, for the group to do this.
PM Chính highlighted the advantages for AstraZeneca when operating in Việt Nam such as a potential domestic market that enjoys incentives by 六0 countries around the world with which Việt Nam has signed free trade agreements. Việt Nam also boasts the most open economy in Southeast Asia, he added.
PM Chính said: “I hope that what we achieved today marks just the beginning of a long journey of strategic cooperation between Việt Nam and AstraZeneca.
"The beginning could be difficult, but that needs to happen, and this would be the basis for the hope that this relationship will soon bear the best fruits.”
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said his company will work to fulfil the 三0 million order within November, and start delivery of the new order in December.
He expressed his hope for vaccine production in Việt Nam while vowing to allocate resources to support the country in digital and smart health solutions to help reduce CO 二 emissions, contributing to environmental protection.
Nitin Kapoor, President for Asia Area Frontier Market at AstraZeneca and Chairman and General Director of AstraZeneca Việt Nam, said that this was a memorable day in the 二 七 years of partnership between Việt Nam and AstraZeneca. — VNS