The Health | March , 2021

Duopharma Biotech Bhd is one of the most prominent players in halal pharmaceuticals in Malaysia .

It became the first manufacturer in Malaysia to obtain halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia ( JAKIM ) in 1999 under the range of health supplements . In early 2017 , it achieved another critical milestone when it received accreditation as the first company to obtain halal certification for prescription medicines .

Asked to comment on the calls for a halal Covid-19 vaccine , its Group Managing Director Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar said in 2018 , the Ministry of Health ( MoH ) published the guideline on the use of medicines or drugs from Islam ’ s perspectives .

“ Several questions need to be taken into account like is the medication halal , is it safe for consumption and in cases of emergency , what should the Muslim patient do , and this is where healthcare practitioners and clerics came to a consensus understanding .

“ The special meeting of the Muzakarah Committee of the Fatwa National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs , which convened on Dec 3 , 2020 , has taken a resolution that the use of Covid-19 vaccine is obligatory ( wajib ) to be taken by the groups identified by the government and permissible ( harus ) for others .

“ Similar fatwa has been issued by other religious authorities worldwide where the use of Covid-19 vaccine is permissible ( harus ) to be taken by Muslims . They are the Al-Azhar al- Syarif University ( Egypt ), the Fatwa Council of the United Arab Emirates , Majma ’ Fuqaha ’ al-Shari ’ ah ( US ), the British Islamic Medical Association ( BIMA ) and the Office of the Mufti of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore ( MUIS ).

Leonard Ariff said “ halal ” was part of the pre-requisites in Duopharma Biotech ’ s product development plans and a pillar in Duopharma ’ s 7-year Strategy Plan , and the company had several projects in the pipeline , including specialised vaccines .

On the size of the halal vaccine market in Malaysia , he said the vaccine market in Malaysia in 2020 was approximately RM296 million . Currently , the relevant agencies , including JAKIM , are developing the framework for halal-certified vaccines .

Within a year , vaccine developers in the US , United Kingdom ( UK ), Germany , China , Sweden , and Russia have managed to develop and obtain clearance for their vaccines ’ emergency use .

The vaccines in the market are Pfizer-BioNTech , Sputnik V , Johnson & Johnson , Sinopharm , Sinovac , Moderna and OOxford-AstraZeneca . All vaccines approved by the NPRA are safe and efficacious .

1 . Pfizer-BioNTech ( US , Germany )

Sold at US $ 19.50 per dose , under the brand name Comirnaty , the Pfizer- BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is an mRNA vaccine developed by German company BioNTEch in cooperation with Pfizer .

It was the first vaccine authorised for emergency use in December 2020 and subsequently cleared for regular use . In its Phase III trials , it demonstrated 95 per cent efficacy .

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires storage at about -80 to -60 degrees Celsius , which requires specialised freezers . Pfizer and BioNTech are manufacturing the vaccine in their facilities in the US and in Europe .

The vaccination requires two doses given by intramuscular injection , given three weeks ( 21 days ) apart .

2 . Sputnik V ( Russia )

Developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology , Sputnik V is a viral vector vaccine .

The vaccine is reported to demonstrate 91.6 per cent efficacy without unusual side effects .

Sputnik V is considerably cheaper than its Western competitors and does not require the same sort of ultracold storage infrastructure that would complicate the Pfizer vaccine distribution in much of the developing world .

Sold at no more than US $ 10 per dose , the vaccination requires two doses given by intramuscular injection given two weeks ( 14 days ) apart . It requires storage at -20 degrees Celsius .

3 . Johnson & Johnson ( US )

The Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine is a viral vector vaccine developed by Janssen Vaccines , a Dutch subsidiary of the American company Johnson & Johnson ( J & J ) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center ( BIDMC ).

It is a single dose vaccine and costs US $ 10 to US $ 14.5 per dose . The vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator at temperatures of two degrees Celsius to eight degrees Celsius for at least three months and can remain stable for two years at -20 degrees Celsius .

On Jan 29 , 2021 , Janssen announced that it was 66 per cent effective in a onedose regimen in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 , with an 85 per cent efficacy in preventing severe Covid-19 .

4 . Sinopharm ( China ); Sinovac ( China )

These Covid-19 vaccines are from China ’ s State-owned Sinopharm and a private company , Sinovac . They are inactivated virus vaccines and are sold at US $ 31 per dose .

The Phase Three trial of the Sinopharm vaccine was reported to demonstrate 79.34 per cent efficacy , while the Sinovac vaccine efficacy stands at 50.4 per cent .

The vaccination for both requires two doses given by intramuscular injection . However , Sinopharm is given three to four weeks apart while Sinovac is given three weeks apart .

Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines can be stored at two degrees Celsius to eight degrees Celsius for 24 months and five months , respectively .

5 . Moderna ( US )

The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is developed by the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( NIAID ), the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority ( BARDA ) and Moderna .

Two doses are administered by intramuscular injection , given four weeks ( 28 days ) apart . According to the World Health Organisation ( WHO ), the interval between the doses may be extended to 42 days if necessary .

The Moderna vaccine is an mRNA vaccine and is sold at US $ 25 to US $ 37 per dose . The efficacy of the vaccine stands at 94.1 per cent .

The Moderna vaccine is stable at two degrees Celsius to eight degrees Celsius for 30 days and can be stored up to six months when stored at -20 degrees Celsius .

6 . Oxford- AstraZeneca ( UK , Sweden )

Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is a viral vector-based vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and is sold at US $ 3 to US $ 4 ( based on CSR pricing ). Given intramuscular injection , the vaccination requires two doses given four to twelve weeks apart and demonstrates 70.4 per cent efficacy .

The vaccine can be stored , transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions , about two degrees Celsius to eight degrees Celsius , for at least six months . — The Health