APA-Gqeberha (South Africa) Pharmaceutical firm Aspen has decided to transform its US$333.33 million facility in South Africa’s Gqeberha city previously used for making COVID-19 vaccines to the manufacture of the life-saving insulin drugs, APA learnt on Thursday.
Aspen Holdings Limited and its wholly owned South African subsidiary Aspen SA Operations said they had agreed with the leading global manufacturer of human insulin, Novo Nordisk, for the technical transfer and commercial manufacture of the new drug.
“Aspen has a clear objective and focus to capacitate Africa and give quality, affordable access to critical medicines from sites based in Africa that are also capable of exporting to global markets,” Aspen Holdings group chief executive Stephen Saad said in a statement on Thursday.
He added: “We are proud to be associated and working with Novo Nordisk, a global leader in many areas – including diabetic insulins.”
Human insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels, is made synthetically in a lab using modified bacteria, in contrast to insulin taken from the pancreases of animals.
The production of insulin would use sterile infrastructure, including some techniques used for COVID-19 vaccine production, Saad said.
The new arrangement, expected to start next year, would reduce transport-related carbon footprint by 68 percent and deploy 250 jobs.
“We hope to build off this initial foundation with Novo Nordisk to further expand access,” Saad said.
NM/jn/APA