Lee: We are building vaccine-manufacturing capacity
THE republic is building up its vaccine-manufacturing capacity even as researchers worldwide race to develop one for Covid-19.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday that Singapore intended to offer fill-and-finish contract manufacturing services to vaccine developers.
in the pharmaceutical industry, contract development and manufacturing organisations work on a contractual basis to fulfil services such as the manufacture of drugs or vaccines.
“This should help them ramp up production faster, and assure them high standards of safety and quality in the manufacturing process,” Lee told the Global Vaccine Summit, co-hosted by the British government and Gavi, the vaccine alliance, over a video call.
The discovery, production and distribution of a safe and effective vaccine is vital to getting life back to normal despite Covid-19, he said.
Singapore is also pulling its weight in the Covid-19 fight on other fronts, including investing in international efforts to combat the virus and leveraging its research expertise to develop new cures.
The republic has contributed about US$13mil towards international Covid-19 efforts through the world Health organisation and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness innovations, and in donations of essential medical equipment and supplies, said Lee.
on the diagnostics front, for example, Singapore researchers have developed a range of serological and nucleic acid-based diagnostic tests, said Lee.
The Fortitude diagnostic kit, for example, was developed and rolled out by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital during the early stages of the outbreak.
Today, it has been deployed in 13 local hospitals and laboratories, as well as other places, including new Zealand and the United States. — The Straits Times/Ann