The Health | december , 2020

We are in the final stages of negotiating to participate in the Covid-19 vaccine global access ( Covax ) to obtain access to supply Covid-19 vaccine . The ceiling price set for the Covid-19 vaccine offered to Malaysia is US $ 21 ( RM87.50 ) each .”

– Khairy Jamaluddin

Duopharma Biotech Berhad

Established in 1979 , Duopharma Biotech Bhd is engaged in the manufacturing , distributing , importing and exporting of pharmaceutical products and medicines . It has also diversified into the biosimilars space with technology and commercialisation collaborations with credible and strong international partners .

Duopharma Biotech has been identified as one of the government-linked companies by the government to undertake the fill-and-finish process for Covid-19 vaccines once they are developed . Duopharma Biotech – controlled by Permodalan Nasional Bhd – is the only company in the country with an accredited fill-and-finish line dedicated to human vaccines .

The company , Malaysia ’ s leading pharmaceutical company in terms of sales volume , has an inert human vaccine line at its Good Manufacturing Practice certified plant in Klang , Selangor which has the capacity of about six to seven million vials per year and able to run on a 24-hour basis . The fill-and-finish process includes repacking bulk liquid into vials , labelling and packaging of the vials .

Its share price has surged from RM1.48 on Mar 2 to RM4.03 on Nov 23 . Duopharma Biotech ’ s Group MD is Leonard Ariff Abdul Satar .

Pharmaniaga Berhad

Pharmaniaga has allocated RM2 mil to repurpose and gear up its existing small volume injectable plant in Puchong , Selangor to carry out the fill-and-finish process for the Covid-19 vaccine . This plant is about 80 per cent ready and has the capacity of about 10 million doses

BY MATHENNY K

cases passed the 65,000 mark recently , Malaysia is desperate for a vaccine to help bring the pandemic under control . However , at the earliest , this can only happen in the first quarter of 2021 , and even then , priority will be given to only three per cent of the population comprising frontliners from the health and security sectors . Science , Technology and Innovation ( Mosti ) Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it could cost the government at least RM3 billion to vaccinate 70 per cent of the population .

“ We are in the final stages of negotiating to participate in the Covid-19 vaccine global access ( Covax ) to obtain access to supply Covid-19 vaccine .

per month on 10 doses vial . Also , its equipment and storage capacity is capable of storing vaccines between two and eight degrees Celsius .

Pharmaniaga – controlled by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera – is one of the largest listed pharmaceutical groups in Malaysia with more than 25 years of experience in implementing , distributing and delivering vaccines to all clinics and hospitals in the country . The group is carrying out the fill-and-finish tasks for non-Covid-19 vaccines produced by India , China , Russia , Thailand and South Korea .

The company aims to produce its halal vaccine in the next five years . Pharmaniaga is also on track to establish a vaccine facility by the year 2022 . Pharmaniaga ’ s share shot up from RM1.66 on Mar 2 to RM5.58 on Nov 23 . Its Group MD is Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope .

Ho Wah Genting Berhad

HWGB , primarily involved in manufacturing and tour-related services , has aggressively diversified into healthcare this year . Previously , it was involved in the distribution of Covid-19 test kits and in August , joined the race to produce a Covid-19 vaccine .

The company has also entered into several agreements with other parties involved in healthcare products . Among the products procured were dietary supplements and Covid-19 diagnostic kits .

HWGB Biotech Sdn Bhd – a wholly-owned subsidiary of HWGB – has partnered with US-based E-Mo Biology Inc ( EBI ) to develop a preventive Covid-19 vaccine . It has also obtained approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct Phase IV clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine . EBI is working towards repurposing the Oral Polio Vaccine ( OPV ) for Covid-19 .

HWGB Biotech will invest US $ 1 mil in EBI . It will be given exclusive rights for the production , distribution ,

The ceiling price set for the Covid-19 vaccine offered to Malaysia is US $ 21 ( RM87.50 ) each ,” he said .

The government has signed a preliminary purchasing agreement with pharmaceutical company Pfizer to buy 12.8 million doses to immunise 6.4 million Malaysians . Pfizer will deliver one million doses in the first quarter of 2021 , followed by 1.7 million doses in the second quarter , 5.8 million in the third quarter and 4.3 million doses in the fourth quarter . However , the purchase is subject to the approval of the Health Ministry ’ s vetting for safety and effectiveness .

The Covid-19 vaccine might become the fastestdeveloped vaccine in history . Research centres , pharmaceutical giants and drug-makers are in a race against time , a race to save lives and a race to rake in profits .

Pharmaceutical giants like AstraZeneca ,

and sale of the repurposed OPV vaccine against Covid-19 infections in Southeast Asia .

HWGB ’ s share price has risen from 11 sen in March to 77 sen on Nov 23 . It hit an all-time high of RM1.20 on Aug 7 . Its MD and CEO is Datuk Aaron Lim Ooi Hong .

DKSH Holdings ( Malaysia ) Berhad

DKSH is a leader in the market expansion services industry in Malaysia , especially for the fast-moving consumer goods and healthcare sectors . Established in Malaysia in 1923 , it is majority-owned by the

DKSH Group of Switzerland .

DKSH ’ s portfolio of services includes offering clients a comprehensive network of sales , marketing , logistics and distribution services .

With its years of experience , DKSH has a wellestablished position in the logistics industry for healthcare products . Thus , the company is seen as a potential candidate for the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine especially with its long-term relationship with – AstraZeneca and Pfizer – which are frontrunners to produce the Covid-19 vaccine .

Besides that , DKSH has a technologicallyadvanced cold chain and redressing facility with industry-standard storage for vaccines and biotech products . Its healthcare distribution centre received a top-level certification for its facility security requirements . Besides , its Shah Alam and Kota Kinabalu facilities comply with Good Distribution Practice ( GDP ) and Good Distribution Practice for Medical Device ( GDPMD ) requirements .

DKSH ’ s share price has risen from RM2.71 on Mar 2 to RM3.60 on Nov 23 . The company ’ s Malaysia Head of Country Management is Jason Michael Nicholas McLaren .