The threat of the coronavirus will not disappear as soon as the world.We will have to live with this threat, with current and future vaccines, unless miraculously, there is discovery of treatment.But even if there is the threat of a new contagious and dangerous affection will persist.
The short and medium -term perspectives, general uncertainty, show how health is an area that is the sovereignty of a country.Morocco has no choice, it must become independent, to guarantee the availability of vaccines, and this, not only for the coronavirus, but for all vaccines, as well as the serums.
According to our different sources, this reflection has imposed itself.Morocco will have in a period of time as short as possible, its own production capacities.This is a race against the watch, because you have to select a technological partner, then install the production units.According to safe sources, there is at least one private project.It is also very likely that the state will launch its own project.
Several countries on the continent have made fanfare announcements of a future start of their manufacturing units, like Egypt, South Africa or even Algeria.In Morocco, it is silence.
The Ministry of Health, which, in the process of 2020, explained to those who wanted to hear the Moroccan ambition in the production of vaccines, completely closed the communication valves on this issue.
"We are not talking, we do," replies a government source, not wanting to express ourselves on the subject even when we try to tickle it by the announcements of other countries.
However, in medical and industrial circles, the echoes are becoming more and more numerous on Moroccan advancement in this area, with not a project but most likely two or more.
In addition to a project carried out by the state, private operators have embarked on the race.They are at least two, perhaps three, to want to invest this industry.
The technical prerequisites are all gathered for Morocco to embark on the adventure.“Several initiatives exist and existed well before the COVID crisis.We already manufacture and develop vaccines for veterinary use on site for years.Our country is able to make vaccines, "comments a source that knows behind the scenes of the pharmaceutical industry.
Here's what we know about Moroccan initiatives.
A production platform in Tangier Tech
A source of professional circles confirms that the ambition is not in the medium term, but immediate: to start production in 2021, probably before the end of the year.In any case, as quickly as possible.
But the vision goes beyond the need to produce anti-Cavid vaccines.The idea is to be able to make vaccines for the local and continental market.
The hypotheses are as follows:
>> D »un côté, le partenariat de transfert de technologie et de compétence avec Sinopharm. La plateforme sera située à Tanger Tech, comme nous l’expliquait le ministre en octobre 2020 et le réitérait dans une interview accordée à Sputnik un mois plus tard.
During this media outing, ATK said that "Morocco aims to become a producer of vaccines of all kinds with a high -tech vaccine production platform in the Tangier Mohammed VI technological city.This factory will make it possible to develop "Made in Morocco" vaccines and ensure self -sufficiency of the country, while supplying the African continent and our Maghreb neighbors ".
"In parallel, we are working hard to expand production at the Institut Pasteur de Casablanca, which can also be a platform as part of public-private partnerships," he adds, while putting these announcements into perspective."These projects will take a few months to see the light of day, but it may be that at the end of next year, we are already starting to produce our vaccines.»»
"All of these developments are part of the multifactorial, political and state strategic and state agreement with the Chinese Laboratory Sinopharm, which stipulates technology and expertise in this direction," he said.
The first milestone of this platform has, perhaps, was set up.As our colleague revealed the Desk last March, Bank of Africa, Attijariwafa Bank and Group Banque Populaire created a new structure "Moroccosino Pharma" with a starting capital of 10 million dirhams.
Institut Pasteur, the past ambition revived
>> Le deuxième axe de la stratégie de l’Etat repose sur l’Institut Pasteur. Le ministère de la santé veut aussi le positionner sur le segment de la production du vaccin.
During the board of directors of the Pasteur Institute, held in early 2021, the project to create an industrial unit for the production of vaccines and biological products (serums) was examined.
The implementation of this industrial unit will meet national demand for vaccines to combat infectious diseases and poisoning resulting from snake and scorpion bites and will also strengthen Morocco positioning among countries producing productsBiological, in accordance with the WHO recommendations, explained the press release published on occasion.
That said, an informed source explains to us that this project is not new."This is a project that has been there for years.In 2019, the Institut Pasteur (IPM) worked on the creation of a vaccine and serum production unit as part of a public/private partnership. "
"Arriving at the ministry, Anas Doukkali found the project on the table and encouraged its realization, but that was without counting on the PPP law.The complexity of the law has slowed down, even hampered the progress of the project, "confides our source.
Despite the difficulties, the IPM worked on a preliminary draft which was submitted to the Ministry of Finance for Validation within the framework of the Public-Private Partnership Procedure."Once this pre-validated project is, a call for international partnership was launched by the IPM.Since then I do not know the fate reserved for this procedure, ”says our source.Contacted by us, the director of the Pasteur Institute has remained unreachable.
"It is difficult to bring this kind of project to achieve with such a complex procedure for projects of this nature," comments this connoisseur of the mysteries of the ministry.
“But, at this time, the project mainly aimed at the manufacture of anticorpionic and antivenine serums rather than vaccines.Morocco imports most of these serums in Mexico.He therefore sought to make his own serums based on locally known species to improve its efficiency.The manufacture of vaccines was also a goal, but secondary, ”says our source.
Since then, the pandemic has been there and has changed the priorities.
Private operators in starting blocks
Our sources assure that Moroccan pharmaceutical companies are also on the lookout for the production of vaccines.But many of them have the ability to do so.
Par production, il s’agit plutôt des opérations de répartition du produit et de son conditionnement. Dans le jargon pharmaceutique, c’est le processus du « fill & finish ». Le laboratoire se procure le produit déjà prêt et se charge de sa mise en flacon (ou seringue pré-remplie, selon le conditionnement choisi) tout en assurant les phases de contrôle.
According to our information, three Moroccan laboratories can or claim to do so.
These are Sothema, Galenica and Pharma 5.
The Sothema laboratory, led by Lamia Tazi, was one of the signatories of the agreement with Sinopharm.Which, at the time, earned him press titles designating his laboratory like the one who will make the Chinese vaccine in Morocco.
But Lamia Tazi was categorical during a question asked by Media24 in October 2020. "We did not have a discussion with Sinopharm on the local manufacturing aspect," she said.
As part of this agreement, Sothema signed to be the promoter of the clinical study."We support the Ministry of Health in the implementation of the clinical trial and its realization," she explained to us.
But that does not mean that Sothema does not feed any ambition in this area, far from it. The name of the laboratory is practically the first to be quoted by our sources when we speak of the will of the private operators to get started inthe manufacture of vaccines.
In early 2019, Sothema inaugurated the extension of its factory in Bouskoura through the establishment of three new units.A production unit of biosimilane anticancer products, a serum manufacturing unit and a biomass power plant to produce green energy.
Naturally, it was the production unit of anticancer that has concentrated interest."The serum production unit passed, in the time, in the background, but it is that which allows Sothema to be in a pole position, for a few adjustments, to produce vaccines."
"After visiting these brand new installations, Anas Douakkali pushed the laboratory to respond to the call to partnership launched by the Pasteur Institute," said one of our sources.
Galenica is working on a project with a Russian partner
For its part, the Galenica Laboratory belonging to Abdelghani El Guermaï advances, for its part, on a project of vaccine production unit.
According to our information, Galenica addressed the Ministry of Industry to present her project and benefit from the support and support of the MHE department.
He could integrate the project into the import-sustitution program carried out by the Minister of Industry.
Our source tells us that Galenica has a Russian partner.These are the Russian investment fund and the Gamaleya Center.Moreover, Abdelghani El Guermaï announced in November 2020 the conclusion of a partnership agreements with a Russian partner.
However, Galenica is not the only one to claim a Russian partnership.This is also the case of the Pharma 5 laboratory led by Myriam Lahlou-Filali.
But beyond the competition between the two laboratories, Pharma 5 also has the capacity to embark on the race for the manufacture of the vaccine.myriam Lahlou-Filali expressed itself on the will and the capacity of its laboratory to manufactureVaccines to our colleague Eco.
"It is indeed one of the few Moroccan laboratories to master the technology of the sterile injectable which is the prerequisite essential for the production of vaccines, both in terms of existing installations and that of manufacturing skills andquality control, ”she said.
And to add, "Pharma 5 already has three units of latest generation sterile injectables and has mastered this technology for almost 15 years both in terms of production and that of product quality control.One of these three units could be, in the near future, entirely dedicated to the manufacture of vaccines, with an annual production capacity of at least 50 million doses, for a substantial investment in additional equipment and a transfer of technologycompletely within our reach ”.
Morocco, a market too small?
All of these public or private ambitions can come up against a hard reality, that of the market. "The Moroccan market is too small to allow to install a competitive vaccine production branch," comments Ali Sedrati, president of FMIIP.
"Morocco has always bought its vaccines, through UNICEF which makes purchases for 150 countries around the world.UNICEF therefore plans huge orders to major world manufacturers.Do you think that for a production for Morocco and even for Africa could be competitive compared to the purchase price of Morocco from UNICEF?"Asks Sedrati.
"If it was economically viable, do you think that investors would not have already done it?", Continues our interlocutor.
Getting started in such a journey is not without risks.Experts agree that it takes market prerequisites before launching a vaccine production sector, in particular a national preference, insurance that the public market will be redirected to nationals.
"I remember an investor, an actor in the production of veterinary vaccines, who addressed the Ministry of Health before the health crisis to propose a human vaccine production project.He was ready to make all the necessary investments, provided that the ministry promises to buy his production, "recalls one of our sources.But the ministry did not follow up on its request.
This question will remain central to private operators who need to secure a market for their investment.But at what cost ?
On the other hand, by investing this segment, the public sector does it to ensure the health security of the country, whatever it costs.Because sovereignty can have a cost but is priceless.
Would it be planned to consolidate all these initiatives around a common national project?For a source that knows the field well, “anything is possible.It is enough that everyone plays a collective game for the good of our country ”.
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