Kanger to purchase Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines made in UAE
KUCHING: Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market-listed Kanger International Bhd’s (Kanger) announced yesterday that its wholly-owned subsidiary Kanger Medical International Sdn Bhd has entered into a binding and conditional Heads of Agreement (HOA) with Sparmak Medical Equipment Trading LLC (Sparmak Medical), an authorised partner of G42 Medications Trading LLC (G42) to purchase Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines manufactured in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Earlier this year, Sinopharm entered into a joint venture with UAE-based G42 to produce the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccines in the UAE under the Hayat-Vax brand. The made-in-UAE vaccine is the first Covid-19 vaccine to be produced in the Arab world.
Under the HOA, Kanger aims to purchase five million vaccine doses with deliveries commencing as early as July 2021. The HOA also provides Kanger an option to subsequently purchase an additional five million vaccine doses.
“This HOA represents the beginning of a long-term strategic venture to commence the distribution of these madein-UAE vaccines into Malaysia,” Kanger executive director Steven Kuah Choon Ching said.
“Amidst the limited supply of vaccines and surging cases, we believe it is vital to look for alternative sources of supply to expedite the vaccination efforts in Malaysia.
“With a steady supply of vaccines, we are confident that the Government of Malaysia is able to achieve its target of having 80% of Malaysians vaccinated by December 2021.
“The Hayat-Vax vaccine is essentially the same Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, manufactured in UAE.
“Hence, we are confident that it will be well-received and accepted by the Malaysian people as an effective vaccine towards the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Recently, the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine has been granted conditional approval for use in Malaysia and is now included in the country’s national vaccination programme.
“Moreover, the private Covid19 vaccine market is expected to commence in August 2021, which would allow industry players to purchase their own vaccine supplies.
“These developments are positive steps towards the Group’s plans in expanding into the healthcare segment.”
Kanger has also been authorised by G42 to be the product registration holder and distributor of the Hayat-Vax vaccine in Malaysia.
On behalf of G42, Kanger has submitted the necessary applications to obtain the required approvals from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) for the Hayat-Vax vaccine to be used in Malaysia.