BRIEF—Minapharm to produce Sputnik V in Egypt

Egypt’s Minapharm and its Berlin-based subsidiary ProBioGen have agreed to establish a manufacturing base for Russia’s homegrown coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V.

Technology transfer will commence immediately, with up to 40 million doses being produced annually at Minapharm’s biotech facility in Cairo, for global distribution.

ProBioGen will undertake efforts for process optimization to further increase production scale, taking advantage of its expertise in viral vector technology and manufacturing process development for vaccines and gene therapy.

Chief executive Wafik Bardissi said: “This agreement is a natural expansion to Minapharm’s regional leadership in biotechnologies, capitalizing on the vast international experience in cellular engineering and adenoviral vector technology of its wholly owned German subsidiary ProBioGen.”