The President Cyril Ramaphosa led visit to the Aspen factory manufacturing the Johnson and Johnson vaccine for COVID-19 in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro yesterday, Monday, 29 March 2021, showed results of investments flowing from the commitments made by a number of companies during South Africa s first investment conference held in 2018.

At that investment conference when South Africa led by President Ramaphosa went all out to attract investors, Aspen committed to invest R3.4 billion to manufacture sterile anaesthetics, a niche and high tech manufacturing capability that presents both domestic and export opportunities.

Speaking during the visit, Eastern Cape Premier, Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane said government views this investment as the fruits of President Ramaphosa's leadership and the confidence of social partners to the direction he is leading the country to.

At that time Aspen made their announcement, we did not know that we would be visited by the Covid-19 pandemic that continues to decimate the people of our province, our country and the world. But Aspen being the global player it is in the pharmaceutical field, quickly focused on playing their part to find a solution to our present day health pandemic,” said Mabuyane.

The research trials of this vaccine were also conducted in the province at the Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital s Nemacru in Mthatha. We are becoming a manufacturing based economy, producing quality products to solve the challenges of the world. We hope that the vaccine that is manufactured here will soon reach our people and protect them against the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Mabuyane.

Ramaphosa said he was happy that people s lives will be saved through the vaccine being manufactured in the province.

This world class facility is in another league and I congratulate Aspen on this facility to manufacture vaccines for our country and for our continent. I would also like to congratulate Aspen on living up to their promise of investing more than R3 billion in our country,” said Ramaphosa.

He announced that Johnson & Johnson has agreed to make 250 million vaccines available to Africa with 30 million for South Africans. Aspen belongs to us as South Africans and it is making life saving vaccines. We as South Africans must be in pole position to receive these vaccines and for them to be made available to the continent immediately. We are pleased of what we have seen here and the commitment of Aspen s people,” said Ramaphosa.

Aspen Group Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Saad said the manufacturing of the vaccine for COVID-19 was a watershed moment for Aspen as they continue to implement their strategic vision of delivering quality, affordable medicines using high-technology pharmaceutical equipment, contributing to improved health outcomes.

Our sterile capacity is a big step to ensuring that Africa has both the capacity and capabilities to reduce its reliance on other countries in addressing its healthcare priorities. The manufacture of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine builds on the global contributions we have made with both our anaesthetics portfolio and dexamethasone supply. We are particularly proud that this vaccine manufacture is taking place in Africa. We hope that our success will inspire and give confidence to others to further invest in our continent. We have set ourselves a further target to become the pandemic solution for Africa. Security of supply for Africans is best achieved through African facilities. Aspen intends to assist with this goal by targeting further enhancement of capacities on the existing sterile footprint to ensure that we have the capabilities to give one liquid dose of vaccine per African person. Said Saad.

Aspen and Johnson & Johnson s commitment to Africa is further underpinned by continued collaboration to enhance the amount of vaccines produced at this facility, with most of the production serving the needs of Africans. The Aspen and Johnson & Johnson project teams responsible for the technical transfer process at the new sterile facility, worked tireless ensuring collaboration in keeping to the ambitious goals and beating timelines. During this time, the Aspen project team have strengthened their technical competencies, complementing the capabilities of these highly skilled Aspen employees and enhancing a knowledge base in South Africa that will contribute to further solving future public challenges.