The Latest Breaking News from Afrigen

Mpox crisis: Why do African countries struggle to make or buy vaccines?

African countries produce less than 2 percent of the vaccines the continent needs, experts say.

Al Jazeera · Sep 12, 2024

Whatever happened to the project to crack the wealthy world's lock on mRNA vaccines?

Lower-income countries did not get the COVID vaccines they needed. So the World Bank and other partners tapped a South African company to cook up the (undisclosed) recipe for the Moderna mRNA vaccine.

WEKU · Sep 12, 2023

Lisa Jarvis: An urgently needed TB shot could democratize vaccines

Tuberculosis surrendered the title of the world’s deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19 struck, but it reclaimed that terrible distinction last year. As with COVID, a new vaccine could go a long way to sharply curtailing the disease, which killed about 1.4 million people a year before the pandemic and increased…

Tribune News Service · Mar 25, 2023

Africa to soon produce its own Covid-19 vaccines in South Africa

In tonight's edition: A new deal paves the way for the development of the first African-owned Covid-19 vaccines. Cape Town-based Afrigen is working with a Belgian biotech company to develop mRNA shots. Also, Kenya has no reproductive health legislation but the public is going to give its input on a…

France 24 · Jun 21, 2022

African-based Covid-19 vaccine on the cards through technology transfer hub in Cape Town

In an effort to even the playing field in terms of vaccine delivery and production, a collaboration between South African-based consortium Afrigen Biologics and Belgium-based Univercells Group was signed on Tuesday. The partnership will pave the way for the development of the first African-owned Covid-19 vaccine.

Radio France Internationale · Jun 21, 2022

How drug companies are sidestepping the WHO's technology transfer hub in Africa

Pharmaceutical company Moderna announced on 7 March 2022 that it would develop a site in Kenya to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines. The company holds much of the key intellectual property relating to the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. Due to their higher efficacy, mRNA vaccines are the preferred option in developed countries.…

The Conversation · Mar 13, 2022

A South African company addresses vaccine supply inequity, despite Canada's lack of support

Since late 2020, the inequitable access across the globe to COVID-19 vaccines has been a glaring problem. But a remarkable achievement earlier this month offers hope that the supply of vaccines to developing countries will improve: Afrigen Biologics, a South African based company, produced its own version of Moderna’s mRNA…

The Conversation · Feb 28, 2022

How trying to copy a COVID vaccine changes the outlook for African countries

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced the first six African countries that will receive technology to produce messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines. This comes off the back of the news that a South African consortium – part of the WHO’s technology transfer hub set up in 2021– had successfully replicated…

The Conversation · Feb 18, 2022

Johnson receives ‘partygate’ police questionnaire – as it happened

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The Guardian - AU · Feb 11, 2022

Coronavirus live: Europe in virus ‘ceasefire’ with tranquil period ahead, says WHO; record UK long Covid cases — as it happened

Europe could enter ‘long period of Covid tranquility’ due to high vaccination rates, WHO says; record 1.33 million UK long Covid patients

The Guardian - AU · Feb 3, 2022