Moving forward towards the goal of increasing local pharmaceutical production, the WHO is establishing a global training center for organic production in the Republic of Korea

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Republic of Korea and the World Health Organization Academy today announced the establishment of a global training center in bioproduction to serve all low- and middle-income countries seeking to produce biologicals such as vaccines, insulin, monoclonal antibodies and cancer treatment. The move followed the successful establishment of a global hub for mRNA vaccine technology transfer in South Africa.

“One of the key obstacles to successful technology transfer in low- and middle-income countries is the lack of a skilled workforce and weak regulatory systems,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Building those skills will ensure that they can produce the health products they need with a quality standard, so they no longer have to wait at the end of the line.”

The Government of the Republic of Korea has offered a large plant outside of Seoul that is already conducting bioproduction training for companies based in the country and will now expand its business to accommodate trainees from other countries. The facility will provide technical and practical training on operational and good manufacturing practice requirements and will complement the specific training developed by the mRNA vaccine transfer hub in South Africa. The WHO Academy will work with the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare to develop a comprehensive curriculum on general bioproduction.

“Just 60 years ago, Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world,” said Mr. Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Korea. “With the help and support of the WHO and the international community, we have moved to a country with a strong public health system and bio-industry. Korea deeply cherishes the solidarity that the international community has shown us during our transition. By sharing these lessons we have learned from our own past experience, we will seek to support low- and middle-income countries in strengthening their bioproductive capabilities to pave the way for a safer world together during the next pandemic. ”

In parallel, the WHO is stepping up its strengthening of the regulatory system through its Global Comparator (GBT), an instrument that assesses the level of maturity of regulators. The GBT will serve as the main parameter for the WHO to include national regulators in the list of competent authorities on the WHO list. The second goal is to build a network of regional centers of excellence that will act as advisors and guides for countries with weaker regulatory systems.

Five more countries will also receive support from global mRNA hub in South Africa: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Serbia and Vietnam. These countries have been tested by a team of experts and have proven that they have the ability to absorb technology and, with targeted training, move into the production phase relatively quickly.

“Indonesia is one of the countries that continuously supports vaccine equality and equal access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries, including the transfer of vaccine technology and knowledge to developing countries,” she said. Retno Lestari Priansari MarsudiMinister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.

“This technology transfer will contribute to equal access to health countermeasures, which will help us recover together and recover more strongly. This is the kind of solution that developing countries need. A solution that strengthens and strengthens our self-confidence, as well as a solution that allows us to contribute to global health resilience. ”

“The support of the World Health Organization in this process is essential for the development of continuous, quality and safe production of vaccines and medical devices,” said Dr. Zlatibor Loncar, Minister of Health of Serbia. “The development of new technology means the development of the expertise of Serbian experts and the training of new young staff, as an absolute national priority.”

“Although Vietnam is a developing country, we have had a lot of experience in developing vaccines over the last decades,” said Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long, Vietnam’s health minister. “The WHO has also recognized our national regulatory body (NRA). We believe that by participating in this initiative, Vietnam will be able to produce mRNA vaccine on a large scale, not only for domestic consumption but also for other countries in the region and the world, contributing to reducing inequalities in access to vaccines. ”

Argentina and Brazil were the first countries in the Americas region to receive mRNA technology from a global hub in South Africa, joining the initiative in September 2021. Companies from those countries are already undergoing training at the technology transfer hub.

“We are confident that, with the technical support of the WHO, its regional offices and the international community of experts, we will be able to improve fair and timely access,” said Dr Carla Vizzotti, Argentina’s Minister of Health. “If we want to achieve better global and regional health outcomes, including better preparedness for future health emergencies, we must break our region’s cycle of dependence in a highly concentrated global vaccine market.”

Numerous countries have responded to the call for expressions of interest from technology transfer hubs in late 2021. The WHO will support all respondents, but currently gives priority to countries that do not have mRNA technology, but already have some infrastructure and capacity for bioproduction. The WHO will enter into talks with other interested countries, and other recipients of mRNA technology will be announced in the coming months.