Russian Sputnik-V vaccine is made at Vabiotech. The firm plans to produce 100 million doses per year after the transfer of production technology next year. — Photo courtesy of the firm

HÀ NỘI — Local companies have announced plans to produce COVID-19 vaccines in Việt Nam.

At an online meeting led by Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on July 23, Vingroup announced it had been approached to negotiate a technology transfer with the US’ Acturus Company for COVID-19 vaccines.

The group representative said they expected the clinical trials to begin in the country next month, adding the plant for the vaccines was planned to have a capacity of 100 to 200 million doses per year.

Earlier, the International Progressive Joint Stock Company (AIC) and the No 1 Vaccine and Biological Products One Member Company Limited (Vabiotech) signed an agreement with Shionogi Company (Japan) to launch the third phase of clinical trials in Việt Nam and also to transfer technology for producing vaccines. According to the firms, if all goes to plan, the vaccine will be completed and on the market in June 2022.

On July 21, Vabiotech, DS-Bio, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund announced that the production of a test batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine had been completed.

Vabiotech said that after tests finished on August 10, Sputnik-V vaccine tubes would be produced at a volume of 5 million doses per month. It would start with 500,000 doses in August but would scale up to 100 million doses per year after that.

Established in 2000 as the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Vabiotech is a State-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Health. Currently, it is one of the leading units in the field of research, manufacture and sale of vaccines and biological products for human use in Việt Nam. 

Minister of Health Nguyễn Thanh Long said Việt Nam was the first country in Southeast Asia to conduct phase 3 trials of a locally produced vaccine. — VNS