MoU signed with US company to set up first ever vaccine producing plant in country

State-owned pharmaceutical company Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL) on Wednesday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with US-based Dyadic International company to set up a vaccine plant, first of its kind in the country, to produce different vaccines including that for Covid-19.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Prof Dr Ehsanul Kabir and Dyadic International CEO Mark A Emalfarb signed the deal on behalf of their respective organisations at the conference room of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in the secretariat.

As per the deal, the US company will provide the EDCL with necessary technical assistance to produce, preserve and maintain quality of the vaccines.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque, who was present during the deal signing ceremony, said initially the Covid-19 vaccine will be produced at the plant.

Subsequently, twelve types of vaccines along with the Covid-19 vaccine will be produced in phases, he said.

He said Bangladesh had to bring 36 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines worth Tk40,000 crore during the Corona pandemic but most of them were given to the country free of cost.

The health minister said the plant will be built on seven to eight acres of land by the EDCL in Gopalganj.

He said the plant will be able to produce vaccines partially in the next two years and in full swing in the next four years.

The minister said they received commitment from the Asian Development Bank to get a $300 million for establishing the plant.