Spain's Reig Jofre to have capacity for 50 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses a year
13/11/2020 08:03
MADRID, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Spanish pharmaceuticals company
Reig Jofre RJFE.MC will be able to produce 50 million doses of
COVID-19 vaccine a year at its new factory without cancelling
any existing contracts, it said on Friday.
The company's new plant in Barcelona is under construction
and due to start operating in the second quarter of 2021, Reig
Jofre said in a statement.
As part of a contract the European Commission is negotiating
with drugmakers Pfizer PFE.N and BioNTech 22UAy.DE for their
COVID-19 vaccine, which has proven more than 90% effective in
trials, Spain would receive 20 million doses.
Reig Jofre CEO Ignasi Biosca had said in the summer that the
company was ready to invest an additional 2-3 million euros to
adapt its new plant for the final step in the production process
of putting the COVID-19 vaccine into vials or syringes, such as
guaranteeing the low temperature needed to preserve the vaccine.
The company, which manufactures and conditions antibiotics,
injectables and other healthcare products, also said that
nine-month net profit more than doubled to 5.3 million euros on
sales of 170 million euros.
($1 = 0.8466 euros)
(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Joan Faus
Editing by David Goodman)
((Inti.Landauro@thomsonreuters.com;))