State-owned National Development Co. (NDC) and Glovax Lifesciences Corp. (GLC), a partnership between South Korea’s biopharmaceutical company Eubiologics Co. Ltd. and Filipino firm Glovax Biotech Corp., have agreed to invest P2.1 billion for the country’s first vaccine manufacturing plant in Batangas that is slated for groundbreaking on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
The groundbreaking ceremony of Glovax Vaccine Plant project, located in a four-hectare property in Barangay Mahanadiong, Taysan, Batangas, will mark a significant achievement for the Philippines as it embarks on establishing its own vaccine manufacturing facility.
Giovanni Alingog, CEO of Glovax Biotech Corp., said that GLC is investing P2 billion for 92.5 percent stake in the project while NDC will chip in P150 million for a minority stake of 7.5 percent in the project.
He said the partnership is committed to establish the country's first working vaccine plant. Its technical partner Eubiologics had already spent $40 million during their Covid-19 vaccine clinical trial in the country, he added. He added that other funders, including foreign and local groups, are going to fill up the additional capital requirement.
“Vaccine manufacturing will start after the construction of the facility, which take a year and a half,” said Alingog. The facility is designed for a 50-million dose capacity, initially producing pentavalent, hepatitis and polio vaccines, he said.
He said that the project aims to address the needs for vaccines, reduce reliance on imports, and ensure the availability of essential vaccines within the country. Thus, he said, exports may have to wait for later, possibly in seven years.
The pioneering initiative aims to enhance national health security, reduce dependence on imports, and ensure the accessibility of crucial vaccines within the country. The facility seeks to bolster self-reliance and vaccine preparedness, enabling the nation to better respond to future pandemics.
The groundbreaking event also represents a major leap towards achieving self-sufficiency in vaccine production and advancing public health initiatives in the Philippines.
The partnership started with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 12, 2022 by NDC, Glovax, Eubiologics, and the DTI’s Board of Investments (BOI) to collaborate and leverage resources for the development of a vaccine plant in the Philippines.
During the pandemic, the BOI had initiated discussions with global pharmaceutical companies in partnership with local firms to establish a vaccine manufacturing facility in the country as there was a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines.
Then President Rodrigo Duterte also made it known to have a vaccine manufacturing project as part of his legacy.