Month: January 2025

Pfizer and Sinergium Biotech entered into a collaboration agreement that will allow comprehensive production of the twenty-valent pneumococcal vaccine to begin in the country. It is expected that this private association will allow coverage to be extended nationally and the vaccine exported to the entire region, generating a foreign exchange income for the country of close to 100 million dollars.

The Minister of Health of the Nation, Mario Lugones, met today with authorities of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Cooperative Consortium of Pfizer and the Argentine pharmaceutical company Sinergium Biotech S.A. to celebrate collaboration agreements that will enable the transfer of highly complex technology for the local production of the Twenty-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (VCN20) in Argentina and that will improve access to it throughout the region of the Americas.

The initiative was presented by Pfizer and Sinergium Biotech to the National Ministry of Health and declared of public interest through Resolution 4844/2024 in October of last year. It represents an approximate investment of 20 million dollars for training, engineering works and acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and transfer of technological knowledge.

During the meeting, the agreement signed between PAHO/WHO and Pfizer was also celebrated so that the pneumococcal vaccine produced in the country can be distributed to the rest of the region through the Revolving Fund that allows the countries of the Americas to access vaccines and public health supplies at affordable prices, in a timely and transparent manner.

meeting in the ministry of health for a public-private agreement in health

The local production of VCN20 will make it possible for Argentina to become the first producing country in Latin America and one of the few countries in the world with this capacity. This enables an export potential that in economic terms represents close to 100 million dollars.

The initiative also marks a before and after in the production of vaccines at the regional level, improving accessibility for the population throughout the region of the Americas. Likewise, it is a clear example of the benefits that can be obtained from the coordination between private parties and the collaboration of the State and international organizations.

The development and local availability of VCN20 provides the opportunity to optimize vaccine coverage. The new vaccine incorporates 7 serotypes that are responsible for causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in children in countries with existing pneumococcal vaccination programs.

photo agreement ops pfizer sinergium and health

On behalf of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, the vice minister, Cecilia Loccisano, participated in the meeting; the head of the Cabinet of Advisors, Roberto Olivieri Pinto, the secretary of Health Management, Alejandro Vilches, the undersecretary of Health Planning and Programming, Saúl Flores, the national director of International Relations, Mariana Vázquez Durán and the general director of Administration, Sabrina Fittipaldi . On behalf of PAHO/WHO, the manager of the Revolving Fund and Strategic Fund of PAHO Washington, Santiago Cornejo, the director of Purchasing, Daniel Rodríguez and the representative of PAHO/WHO in Argentina, Eva Jané Llopis, were present.

Representing Pfizer, the president for Latin America, Sinan Atlig, the General Manager in Argentina, Agustina Ruiz Villamil, the Regional Director of Vaccines, Ignacio Romano, and the Director of Corporate Affairs, Santiago Veiga, participated in the meeting. Finally, on behalf of Sinergium Biotech, the CEO, Alejandro Gil, the Business Development Director, Fernando Lobos, the Commercial Manager, Leonardo Ruiz Díaz, and the Head of Communication, Belén Varela, participated.

To see published note click here.

Buenos Aires, January 15, 2025 (PAHO) – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Government of Argentina, the Pfizer laboratory and the pharmaceutical company Sinergium Biotech announced a joint effort that will facilitate local production and regional access to the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20). This vaccine will help reduce the burden of pneumococcal diseases, offering improved protection for vulnerable populations, including children and older adults.

“PAHO is committed to increasing regional production of sustainable and innovative technologies, strengthening existing capacities and our regional purchasing mechanism, the Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines,” said PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to ensuring equitable access to safe and effective vaccines that prevent serious diseases and save lives,” he added.

Through this initiative, not only Argentina will be a beneficiary of the local production of Sinergium Biotech, but also the rest of the countries in the region will be able to access doses of the vaccine through the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds, allowing be introduced more quickly and at competitive prices.

The countries of the region will be able to access it at competitive prices through the PAHO Regional Revolving Funds

The PCV10 and PCV13 vaccines have had a positive impact on the health of children in Latin America and the Caribbean. Estimates of the 2016 global burden of lower respiratory tract infections revealed that after the introduction of these vaccines, cases of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by the serotypes covered in these vaccines in children under 5 years of age were significantly reduced. However, an increase was observed in other serotypes not covered by those vaccines.

PCV20, which includes seven additional serotypes compared to PCV13, promises to further strengthen protection against serious diseases caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae or pneumococcus, responsible for pneumonia, meningitis and other serious infections, including those serotypes associated with antibiotic resistance. .

Pneumococcus remains a global public health problem. According to estimates by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluations (IHME), in 2021, 155,000 children under 5 years of age died worldwide due to pneumonia and meningitis caused by pneumococcus, of which 3,345 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean. That same year, pneumococcal disease caused around 243,000 deaths in adults aged 70 years or older, of which around 18,000 were in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The PCV20 vaccine will be available for Latin America and the Caribbean from the beginning of 2025, with the estimate that the first doses produced in Argentina will be available in 2026. Thus, this vaccine, which is recommended for children under 2 years of age and adults over 60 and which is already being introduced in high-income countries, will also be available for countries in the region.

For more than 40 years, the PAHO Revolving Fund for Access to Vaccines has consolidated the demand of the countries of the region to make joint purchases, which gives them negotiating power and guarantees a uniform price under competitive conditions, regardless of the demand of each country. In the case of PCV20, countries will also be able to purchase it at a favorable price. Plus, shipping will be done regionally, reducing costs and carbon footprint. Another benefit of this vaccine, unlike PCV13, is that it will come in a prefilled syringe, making the administration process easier.

This effort, by helping to develop an ecosystem ready for the production and distribution of vaccines on a larger scale, also seeks to increase the region’s resilience to future pandemics and outbreaks, one of the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To see published note click here.