Anti-covid vaccines: Argentina on the verge of being the eighth …

According to estimates by the consulting firm Airfinity, by the end of 2021, Argentina could position itself as the world’s eighth largest vaccine producer. According to the latest report prepared by the company specializing in the analysis of scientific and health data, projections indicate that the country would share this ranking with nations that are already in the lead in production such as China, the United States, the India, United Kingdom. and Russia. From the region, but a little lower in the positions, Brazil and Cuba would also be located.

Although the Ministry of Health avoids making overly bold projections – in fact, for some time now, they generally do not advance the amount of doses that arrive until the planes land in Ezeiza – authorized voices of the portfolio ensure that the foresight exercise carried out by a consulting firm like Airfinity could be fairly adjusted in the medium term. In this direction, Sonia Tarragona, chief of staff of the Ministry of Health of the Nation, specifies: “It is not unreasonable to think that our country by the end of the year and in 2022 will be able to consolidate itself as a strategic producer of vaccines against the Covid in the Region. By December, as we predict, not only will the entire population be immunized, but we will also aim to become one of the top exporting countries in Latin America.”.

“At the end of this year, there are consulting firms that are announcing that global vaccine production would increase sixfold and the world would reach the levels needed to achieve global immunity. Beyond achieving this formidable goal, getting closer to it would already be very good news, ”he says. Bernabé Malacalza, doctor in social sciences (FLACSO), professor at the National University of Quilmes and researcher at Conicet. At the date, laboratories around the world have produced 1.73 billion vaccines, and according to Airfinity’s projections, as of December 31 – in an ideal situation – that number could rise to 11 billion.

“Este tipo de informes suelen tener en cuenta el incremento en las capacidades de producción, la cantidad de plantas activas, la posibilidad de aumentar la producción que tienen esas plantas y las que no están funcionando pero lo harán en breve”, advierte el especialista en international relationships. Then he adds: “While these numbers should be taken with care, as they predict an idyllic situation, they are in part a symptom of what we see in the present.. By 2022 our country will undoubtedly be a global producer of anti-Covid vaccines”.

Another axis the study focuses on is that much of this production jump will be driven by private laboratories located in low- and middle-income countries. From this point of view, Malacalza details it: “Between 80% and 90% of the acceleration in manufacturing next year will be due to companies located in low- and middle-income countries. I mean India but also Argentina. The good thing would be for the producing countries to be also those which immunize their populations the most quickly ”.

The value chain linked to production routines is multi-country. What does it mean? That no matter how much a nation is one that is ultimately identified with the developed technology, there are always several contributing theirs. It happens this way because science and technology around the world are also participating in the process of globalization that has polished capitalism over the past decades. The slogan “Capitalism has no flag” in 2021 seems to fill with meaning.

Argentina as the flagship of the region

MaBxience, the laboratory whose factory is located in Garín (Buenos Aires) and belongs to businessman Hugo Sigman, has already produced the active substance for the packaging and distribution of approximately, 60 million doses of technology developed by the University of Oxford / AstraZeneca. If all goes as before, by the end of June they could send 30 million more. The first batches have already been distributed from Mexico and the United States to the region with the exception of Brazil. At the beginning of 2022, it could achieve the initial target, that is to say between 150 and 250 million. the Richmond Laboratory, led by Marcelo Figueiras, would initially be able to participate in the last link in the production chain and manufacture certain 500,000 doses per week, or about two million per month of Sputnik V. However, after the first few months when the process tends to take time and the procedures are oiled up, could reach 5 million monthly doses.

Next year, however, the highlight will come with the launch of a model factory that will allow the manufacture of no less than 500 million doses per year. “In the first step, Richmond will take care of the packaging of the substance sent from Moscow. However, the objective is that in the medium term, starting with the commissioning of a new plant, it can also take charge of the production of the formula and thus complete the entire production circuit of the country ”, says Tarragona.

On the other hand, it must be taken into account that the negotiations are well advanced so that Argentina also produces the Sinopharm vaccine in the Sinergium laboratory, one of the largest on the continent. From this point of view, Tarragona expresses: “There are many projects which are well advanced. Not only will Richmond produce the Sputnik V, but Sinopharm’s deal for Sinergium to make it locally and what mAbxience has already done with AstraZeneca is well underway. There are also local projects which are not closed but which in a few months could work very well ”. With this, the economist refers to the vaccines developed by the National University of San Martín (baptized “Arvac Cecilia Grierson”), the National University of La Plata and, finally, the one that the Leloir Institute, the Conicet and the biotechnology company Vaxinz.

Then he continues with the details of the agreement with China. “Sinopharm’s agreement with Sinergium has not yet been concluded but is well advanced. In addition, once production is launched, it can evolve very quickly. The experience is great, since It is the most important factory in South America and he’s got a lot of experience in that sort of thing. In fact, Sinergium’s specialist groups were participating in the clinical trial that Sinopharm conducted in the country, ”he says.

Sinopharm, like so many other companies (Pfizer, CanSino, Janssen, Medicago, Bayer and BriLife), has conducted its Phase III clinical trials in Argentina. In this case, the tests were carried out through the Fundación Huitado led by Pedro Cahn and the Vacunar centers. “Today, he is in the contract negotiation phase, but in a very short time we will be giving news of the start of local production of this vaccine as well», Announces the manager. Something similar is happening with Cuban technologies (Abdala and Sovereign II), but to start producing them there is still a long way to go.

“We are going to a world of permanent pandemics, you have to be ready. Not only is it probable but it is very possible to have new events of a similar magnitude in which the country’s resilience is at stake, ”Malacalza describes. “The production of vaccines and their export will enable Argentina to play this role of “Good international citizen” and improve your reputation. The nation is showing signs of being able to share talents and knowledge with other countries in the region. We have a lot to offer, ”he says.

Success with Russia, America’s Game

“The country anticipated very well what later became a success and a consecration like the Sputnik V vaccine. It was among the first to request and approve its use; and this benefited him both to receive the first doses and to become a link in the production chain of the vaccine itself, which will soon be manufactured in the country by the Richmond laboratories ”, explains Malacalza. “Argentina, at some point, based on its installed capacity, could be on par with production from Russia, for example. The Eurasian giant, currently, is one of those who produce the least; for this reason, Moscow aims for deconcentration production in different nodes, ”he observes.

Under this premise, the Conicet researcher evokes the development of Sputnik V in emerging countries with technological potential and specifically selected by Putin. With the exception of China, Germany and South Korea, Sputnik V is produced on a large scale in countries like India, Egypt, Italy, Brazil, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Belarus and Kazakhstan. In this regard, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a new vaccine production plant in Bahrain to manufacture and distribute its technology.

Until the beginning of May, depending on the Axios Consultant, China (415 million), the European Union (400 million), the United States (323 million), India (196 million), Russia (67 million) and the United Kingdom (23 million) are in top of the list of producing countries. An interesting fact to take into account in order to understand the geopolitical profile in relation to vaccines lies in the analysis how much of what they produced was destined for the domestic market and how much they exported. China and the European Union exported 200 million each, the United States 2.5 million, India 66 million, Russia 11.5 million and the United Kingdom 0.7 million. The tabs of the diplomatic relations map are reorganized, all the more so if we take into account that Along with China and Russia, which already played strong towards the end of 2020 and the first half of 2021, the United States is now joining them.

Although until just a few weeks ago, the government of Joe biden had only sent a few articles to its northern neighbors (Mexico and Canada), the White House reported this week that, through the Covax mechanism from the WHO, will distribute 80 million doses, which it does not use for its vaccination process and are primarily intended for Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The first installment will be 25 million, of which six will go to the region. “The United States has already started playing around with shipping doses of AstraZeneca to Canada and Mexico. Biden plans to send lots to Central America, backyard, and has a very large Johnson & Johnson remnant that they will play as well. The rate of his vaccination increases to 10% per month, with which he hopes to achieve collective immunity by July 4 and proclaim this date as ‘Covid independence day’, ”explains Malacalza.

Vaccines have become a resource that is as strategic as it is coveted. The bottleneck of production seems to have been released and, over the months, utopias are embodied and taking shape. In this context, Argentina, thanks to the efforts of its government and, above all, thanks to the installed capacities and excellent human resources, could play an interesting role.