Independence of Biologicals for Colombia: Why is it historically important?
- VaxThera will guarantee the immediacy and prioritization of vaccines for Colombians by becoming independent in terms of biologicals.
- The country has not produced new vaccines in over 20 years due to changes in international regulations.
- Colombia will have an immediate vaccination response against COVID -19 variants.
Medellín, July 2022. Within the framework of Colombian Independence Day, the country is celebrating the first anniversary of VaxThera, a Colombian company owned by Seguros SURA, that is an expert on biotechnology, and will contribute to the country’s and the region’s independence in terms of vaccines and biologicals.
No vaccines have been produced in Colombia since 1998 and, although the Expanded Immunization Program (EIP) includes 21 vaccines to protect against 26 diseases, none of them is produced locally. The reason is the changes in international regulations that required changes to the existing vaccine production plants, which led to importing the vaccines instead of investing in the improvements.
Although vaccines have become important again after the impact of the COVID– 19, we cannot ignore the fact that immunization has improved the quality of life and decreased the rates of mortality in the community, saving up to three million lives per year, and has been the solution to epidemiological diseases that have plagued our society such as measles, smallpox, yellow fever, and dengue.
However, many Latin American countries, which have a population of about 650 million inhabitants, do not have enough capabilities to prevent that type of pathology and to become part of the vaccine production chain. This is the reason for the global uncertainty that arose from the recent pandemic and the tireless search for a vaccine.
It is worth noting that, although in Asian countries the vaccine was available since November 2020 for people over 16 years of age, the first lot only arrived in Colombia in mid-February 2021, with a vaccination program that prioritized the population by stages, but during some of those stages the vaccines were in short supply.
Why is local production important?
Local production helps the recovery of the domestic pharmaceutical industry. It also sets up a prioritized, efficient, and effective distribution for the entire country, access to public health is improved, and contributes to economic recovery due to the creation of jobs, the generation of resources from exporting the biologicals, and lower costs for those who distribute them.
VaxThera, as a Colombian company, is working with its own capabilities, collaborative networks, leading edge technology, and national and international experts who will reinforce the transfer of knowledge to achieve vaccine autonomy and thus be prepared for future pandemics.
“This initiative is a historical milestone in moving towards sanitary autonomy in Colombia and, additionally, we can become a benchmark for the industry around the world. Although the pandemic has affected us all in different ways, it has also enabled us to adapt to new social dynamics and take advantage of any opportunities to improve the economy of the country”, says Jorge Emilio Osorio, VaxThera’ s CEO.
How does VaxThera contribute to the country’s vaccine independence?
The company is in the process of getting an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 through the Emergency Use Sanitary Authorization (Autorización Sanitaria de Uso de Emergencia – ASUE) filed with INVIMA. The purpose of this vaccine is to get an immunization period that lasts longer than current technologies, and improved efficacy against different COVID-19 variants.
“Colombia has a huge potential to take advantage of its biodiversity for pharmaceutical production, but it is important to continue strengthening the Colombian industry to improve our export capabilities and to create science and technology in Colombia for the world”, Osorio emphasizes.
In addition, the company is working on solutions to emerging tropical diseases that are frequent in some areas of Latin America, such as dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, influenza, and Zika.
This is how VaxThera is moving forward in its search for Colombia’s sanitary autonomy, and helping the national economy be more dynamic through innovation, development, and research, considering that, because it is a domestic company, the knowledge, the investment, and the resources produced, will remain in the country.
About VaxThera
VaxThera is a Colombian science-based company dedicated to research and development of biologicals for the world. The company aims to achieve sanitary independence through research, development, and innovation in biotechnology and health. The company was born from the articulation between SURA and world-class researchers in the areas of biotechnology and human health.
Press information:
Eliana Siegert
esiegert@vaxthera.com