Kangtai Biological, AstraZeneca, and Indonesia's Combiphar Sign Strategic MoU at Boao Forum to Advance Local Vaccine Production

-- CollaborationImproving the Accessibility and Affordability of Vaccines in Developing Countries

ShenzhenMarch 31, 2023/PR Newswire/ --March 29, 2023During the annual meeting of the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan, Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd. (300601.sz), AstraZeneca, and Indonesia's Combiphar signed a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation (hereinafter referred to as the "Memorandum"). The aim is to promote cooperation between China and Indonesia in areas such as vaccines and to strengthen Indonesia's healthcare system resilience in domestic manufacturing and access to medicines, particularly vaccines.

Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca, and Combiphar Sign Agreement at Boao Forum for Asia

According to the memorandum, Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd., AstraZeneca, and Combiphar will jointly promote the localized production and commercialization of Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd.'s vaccines (including COVID-19 vaccines and other vaccines) in Indonesia. Based on Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd.'s rich vaccine pipeline, all parties will explore synergies through commercial and scientific cooperation.

Currently, the world has entered the "post-pandemic" era,Accelerating the Increase of Vaccination Rates for Various Vaccines and Expanding Vaccine Coverage for Key Populations is Crucial for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 and Other Common Infectious Diseases. Over the past three years, China has actively advocated for deepening international vaccine cooperation, enhancing the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries, making vaccines a global public good.

Continuously Deepen Vaccine International Cooperation

As vaccine technology continues to advance and significant vaccine products are launched, the global vaccine market is expected to expand further in both scale and growth rate. An increasing number of Chinese companies are actively exploring international markets through the model of "Vaccines Made in China, Manufactured in Multiple Countries, Serving the World." In 2021, Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd., with its leading quality management system and large-scale production capacity, successfully adopted AstraZeneca's adenovirus vector COVID-19 vaccine technology and initiated mass production in Shenzhen. It has exported and supplied over 30 million doses to Indonesia. Additionally, Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd. has signed cooperation agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Pakistan for the promotion of its 13-valent/23-valent pneumococcal vaccines, with related market entry processes currently underway. The pace of vaccine "going global" continues to accelerate.

Miao Xiang, President of Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd., stated at the signing ceremony: Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd. and AstraZeneca have established a strong partnership based on long-term trust. Through our joint efforts, we have already supplied tens of millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Indonesia, setting an example of international cooperation in combating the pandemic.

In order to enhance the competitiveness of Chinese vaccines in the global market, Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., Ltd. has formed a relatively rich pipeline layout through "independent research and development + technology introduction." It currently possesses the R&D and production capabilities for viral vaccines, bacterial vaccines, genetically engineered vaccines, conjugate vaccines, and multivalent combination vaccines. The company is also exploring cutting-edge international technologies such as mRNA, adenovirus vector vaccines, and new adjuvants. It has 10 products that are either on the market or have been approved for emergency use, among which the 60-microgram hepatitis B vaccine and the dual-carrier 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine are world firsts. The quadrivalent combination vaccine was independently developed in China and is currently the domestically produced vaccine with the largest number of combination vaccines. Additionally, the company owns more than 60 patents and has over 30 ongoing research projects, covering almost all mainstream vaccine types worldwide.

Jointly Enhance Vaccine Accessibility and Affordability

As a key focus area of China's "14th Five-Year Plan" for strategic emerging industries, the biopharmaceutical industry has become an important pillar in advancing the "Healthy China" initiative. Meanwhile, in the face of threats from major infectious diseases, humanity must unite and collaborate, working together in the research, production, and distribution of vaccines to bridge the "immunization gap."

At the G20 Bali Summit held in November last year, the leaders of all member states jointly called for "collaborative research and joint production of vaccines, including strengthening cooperation among developing countries"; in the joint statement by China and Indonesia, both countries emphasized the high importance of health cooperation. They will further promote comprehensive vaccine industry chain cooperation and drug development, strengthen collaboration in vaccine and gene research and production, and support Indonesia in becoming a regional vaccine production center. Both countries will continue to play an exemplary role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and health cooperation, while improving global public health governance.

Miao Xiang stated that in the future, we will continue to deepen our cooperation with AstraZeneca in vaccine research and development, production, and commercialization, exploring new forms and pathways of collaboration. This will enhance the accessibility and affordability of various vaccines in Indonesia and other countries worldwide, helping to build a fairer and more reliable global public health governance mechanism for the benefit of more people's health.