Brazil will receive from China the first batch of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) for the production of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford (UK) and the Anglo-Swedish company AstraZeneca.
The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), the largest medical research center in Latin America that will be in charge of formulating and packaging the vaccine doses, confirmed the API delivery from the Wuxi Biologics laboratory, hired by AstraZeneca.
Since last month, the first batch of API was ready to be sent, but it was delayed due to an export license and customs proceedings so that the shipment could be conducted.
The Brazilian government signed an agreement with Oxford / AstraZeneca for the vaccine to be produced at the Institute of Technology in Immunobiology (Bio-Manguinhos / Fiocruz).
Initially, Brazil will produce the API-based vaccine imported from China, but the agreement also provides the transfer of technology to nationalize its manufacture, which should be carried out in the second semester.
FIOCRUZ expects to send 14 API shipments during the first half of the year, each with enough material for 7.5 million doses.
The contract calls for the foundation to receive enough to produce 100.4 million doses in July.
If sufficient and timely delivery of API, the prestigious research center will be able to produce 110 million additional doses to reach 210.4 million by the end of 2021.
The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine is currently being applied in Brazil thanks to the import of two million doses produced by the Serum Institute.
