Kanger collaborates with Zuellig Pharma to distribute Covid-19 vaccines

KUCHING: Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market-listed Kanger International Bhd (Kanger) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Zuellig Pharma Sdn Bhd (Zuellig Pharma) for the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines in Malaysia.

The MOU will add value to Kanger as the group is focused on expanding its business into the healthcare industry, which includes distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, and is looking for a well- established logistics and distribution provider to work with.

Zuellig Pharma is one of the license holders authorised by the Malaysian Government to handle the distribution of vaccines. With its affiliates in 13 countries, it is Asia’s largest healthcare and medical device product distributor.

Over in Malaysia, Zuellig Pharma operates healthcare distribution facilities in both West Malaysia and East Malaysia. As the largest vaccine distributor in Malaysia and Asia, it has extensive capabilities to warehouse and distribute such products in temperaturecontrolled environments.

The MOU with Zuellig Pharma is a positive development for Kanger in progressing its efforts to venture into the healthcare industry, which includes the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

On September 29, 2020, Kanger announced that it had signed a three-year collaborative agreement with Sinopharm Group Hunan Changde Medical Co Ltd (SGHC) to distribute Covid-19 vaccines and medical equipment products, which are developed and manufactured by China National Pharmaceutical Group Corp (Sinopharm).

Sinopharm has developed two Covid-19 vaccines which have already entered Phase 3 trials, which is the final stage before being approved for general use, in more than 10 countries.

According to Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, on October 13, 2020, Malaysia has been listed by China as a “priority recipient” of the four Chinesedeveloped vaccines for Covid19 currently in late- stage trials.

Once the vaccines are approved for public use, this development is expected to augur well for Kanger, being an authorised distributor of Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccine in Malaysia.

“We are pleased to be working together with Zuellig Pharma, one of the largest pharmaceutical distribution companies to facilitate the distribution of Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccines in Malaysia,” Kanger’s executive director Steven Kuah Choon Ching said.

“Under the terms of the MOU, Zuellig Pharma will facilitate the import, warehousing and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccines in Malaysia while Kanger will facilitate the availability of Sinopharm’s Covid-19 vaccines in Malaysia, upon obtaining the relevant approvals from the Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities.”

To strengthen the group’s venture into the healthcare industry, Kanger has appointed Stefan Heitmann, who has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry as its technical adviser. Heitmann has held senior leadership roles with large healthcare and pharmaceutical companies across seven Asia-Pacific countries.

Heitmann worked with the Zuellig Pharma Group from 1999 until 2012 across its operations in Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia.

During his time there, he successfully expanded the market presence of Zuellig Pharma in the respective countries by growing revenue, increasing distribution portfolio and embarking on mergers and acquisitions.