BRIEF—Aspen deal for COVID-19 vaccine in South Africa

A South African subsidiary of Aspen Holdings, Aspen Pharmacare, has inked a deal with Johnson & Johnson’s pharma arm to manufacture the firm’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The investigational vaccine, Ad26.COV2-S, will be subject to formulation, filling and packaging at Aspen’s facility in Port Elizabeth, for supply to J&J.

The firm has invested around $185 million in the facility, including in high technology equipment and systems, to produce more than 300 million doses per year.

Aspen chief executive Stephen Saad said the firm was focused on becoming: “a leading global supplier for antiretrovirals for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, multi-drug-resistant-TB products and COVID-19-related treatments such as anaesthetics and dexamethasone.”