Patrick Soon-Shiong, a SA-American transplant surgeon, billionaire businessman, bioscientist, and media mogul, has offered R3bn to catalyse vaccine development capacity in the country and Africa, including development of second-generation Covid-19 vaccines.
This is according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation, and the SA mission to the UN in Geneva.
The diplomatic service said Soon-Shiong's corporation and philanthropic foundation “would commit an initial R3bn to SA to transfer the latest technology for producing vaccines and biological therapies”.
In March, Cape Town-based vaccine manufacturer Biovac announced it had formed a partnership with Soon-Shiong's California-based cell and immunotherapy product manufacturer ImmunityBio to manufacture the US firm's candidate Covid-19 vaccine.
The vaccine product is being tested in the form of a tablet which, according to Biovac CEO Morena Makhoana, will be a game changer as it will not have to be stored at the low temperatures of the injectable vaccines.
The ImmunityBio vaccine should be ready by early 2022.
Billionaire offers R3bn to help SA develop vaccines
Image: 123RF/Sasirin Pamai
Patrick Soon-Shiong, a SA-American transplant surgeon, billionaire businessman, bioscientist, and media mogul, has offered R3bn to catalyse vaccine development capacity in the country and Africa, including development of second-generation Covid-19 vaccines.
This is according to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation, and the SA mission to the UN in Geneva.
The diplomatic service said Soon-Shiong's corporation and philanthropic foundation “would commit an initial R3bn to SA to transfer the latest technology for producing vaccines and biological therapies”.
In March, Cape Town-based vaccine manufacturer Biovac announced it had formed a partnership with Soon-Shiong's California-based cell and immunotherapy product manufacturer ImmunityBio to manufacture the US firm's candidate Covid-19 vaccine.
The vaccine product is being tested in the form of a tablet which, according to Biovac CEO Morena Makhoana, will be a game changer as it will not have to be stored at the low temperatures of the injectable vaccines.
The ImmunityBio vaccine should be ready by early 2022.
TimesLIVE
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