KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 13): Pharmaniaga Bhd’s unit signed a research collaboration agreement (RCA) with a Thailand-based company to develop a six-in-one combination vaccine for children’s healthcare with an annual market value of RM200 million in Malaysia.

Pharmaniaga’s wholly owned subsidiary Pharmaniaga LifeScience Sdn Bhd (PLS) will be working with BioNet-Asia Co Ltd to develop the hexavalent vaccine, the pharmaceutical company said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia on Tuesday (Dec 13).

The initiative is in line with Pharmaniaga’s plan of establishing the world’s first halal vaccine plant.

“The production of vaccines locally will reduce costs for the government as well as to ensure drug security for the nation.

“Hexavalent vaccine is currently used in Malaysia National Immunisation Programme (NIP) and fully imported,” the company said in a separate statement.

It added Pharmaniaga targets to supply the hexavalent vaccine to Malaysia's Health Ministry and to export it to other parties worldwide. The annual market demand regionally is estimated at an approximate value of RM500 to RM600 million.

Pharmaniaga group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the vaccine formulation is scheduled to be ready by the end of 2023.

"Pharmaniaga will proceed in conducting pre-clinical trials and extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the protective immune response with [a] hexavalent vaccine that protects against six diseases, i.e. diphtheria (DT), tetanus (TT), pertussis (aP), poliomyelitis (IPV), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and hepatitis B (Hep-B) diseases,” said Zulkarnain.