• Biovac opens mRNA-capable vaccine lab in Cape Town, backed by global donors
• Facility enables full vaccine production, supporting Africa’s health sovereignty goals
• Project aligns with AU plan to boost local vaccine output to 60% by 2040

The facility will support full vaccine and therapeutic manufacturing for diseases prevalent in Africa. The Cape Town facility is funded by the Gates Foundation, the European Union, and the German government.

Biovac said the lab will allow it to produce vaccines from early development through final formulation using advanced technologies such as messenger RNA (mRNA). It is also expected to make other treatments while fostering innovation and developing homegrown intellectual property.

Advancing African Vaccine Self-Sufficiency

The laboratory includes infrastructure for developing, screening, evaluating, and producing mRNA drug substances. It also houses a specialized suite for nanoparticle formulation, which encapsulates and protects mRNA, as well as dedicated spaces for bacterial and cell culture, cell bank storage, and handling sensitive biological materials.

“The establishment of our new product development laboratory is a major milestone for Biovac and for African vaccines and vaccine innovation. It gives us the capability to develop and test next-generation vaccines using the most advanced technology available, ensuring that Africa is not left behind in responding to current and future vaccine-preventable diseases,” said Biovac CEO Morena Makhoana.

Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, said the lab “brings the promise of faster, more reliable access to lifesaving vaccines – developed and produced in Africa, for Africa.”

Aligning with Continental Goals

The project supports the African Union’s plan to raise Africa’s share of locally produced vaccines from 1% to 60% by 2040 to strengthen health security. The AU aims to reach that target with support from member states, donors, multilateral lenders, and private-sector initiatives like Biovac’s.

Biovac, 47.5% owned by two South African government agencies, supplies vaccines for the country’s childhood immunization program. It was founded to distribute imported vaccines for the Department of Health before gradually building capacity for final-stage manufacturing, or “fill and finish.”

The company provides vaccines in South Africa for tuberculosis, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, Haemophilus influenzae, and hepatitis B. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Biovac partnered with Pfizer and BioNTech to produce vaccines for the African Union.

Walid Kéfi