It is only a matter of days before the arrival in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, of a new “BioNtainer”. These semi-automated mobile laboratories, designed by the German company BioNTech, a specialist in messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, embody Rwanda’s ambition to establish itself as a future vaccine hub in Africa.
A first module, consisting of six prefabricated clean rooms, has already been delivered in March 2023. In the meantime, work has intensified to build the support infrastructure and constitute the team necessary for the proper functioning of the BioNTainers: the one will be used for the manufacture of the active substance, the other for the production of ready-to-use formulated vaccines. With this investment of some 150 million dollars (138 billion euros), BioNTech claims to want to strengthen the resilience of a continent which today imports 99% of its vaccines and more than 90% of its medicines.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, governments and global pharmaceutical groups increased promises aimed at increasing vaccine equity in developing countries. But the commitments made are far from having all materialized. In April, it was the American laboratory Moderna which announced ” pause ” a factory project in Kenya, explaining that it has not received any orders for anti-Covid vaccines in Africa since 2022.
A confusing choice
But, at BioNTech, “we move forward with a long-term vision”, assures Aneto Okeke, head of the industrial project, citing the trajectory set by the African Union: covering 60% of the continent’s needs with vaccines of local origin, by 2040. From the window of the company’s temporary offices , the Nigerian official points to a hill in the distance. There, in the special economic zone of Kigali, the future manufacturing site was inaugurated in December 2023. Work is continuing there and should be completed by the end of the year.
No date has yet been officially set for the production of the first Rwandan vaccines. But the facility, once operational, should be able to provide up to fifty million doses per year. Vaccines against the coronavirus, of course, but also other pioneering mRNA-based treatments against tuberculosis or malaria for example, developed by BioNTech and currently in the trial phase.
The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a public-private alliance, announced on May 29 that it had granted the manufacturer $145 million in funding to support its efforts and enable it to carry out on-site clinical research. “The whole objective is to establish a technological platform for the production of vaccines against diseases that particularly affect Africa”summarizes Mr. Okeke.
If the intention is difficult to dispute, the biotech’s choice to establish itself in Rwanda can, however, seem confusing. Or wildly daring. “There wasn’t even a molecule of aspirin produced on site when we started talking about BioNTech”, recalls a European consultant established in Kigali and who prefers to remain anonymous. However, as early as 2021, Paul Kagame, the president of this tiny enclave located in central Africa, affirmed that his country would be the first on the continent to develop mRNA.
” Political commitment “
“We believe that innovation can be at the center of development, including in health”argues the Rwandan Secretary of State for Health, Yvan Butera, welcoming the fact that Rwanda can benefit from the technology “promising” of mRNA and serve as “test country” in Africa. A strategy reinforced by the recent decision of the International Vaccine Institute to set up its African office in Kigali.
One of the country’s assets lies in its small size: with some thirteen million inhabitants, in the event of a future pandemic, the population can be covered quickly, without exhausting the doses intended for neighboring countries. The opposite of India, the world’s largest producer, which abruptly suspended its exports during the last health crisis in order to complete its own vaccination campaign.
“But what tipped the scales in favor of Rwanda, while there were certainly other more logical candidates in Africa, was above all the level of political commitment on this issueestimates Belen Calvo Uyarra, ambassador of the European Union (EU) in Kigali. They showed a lot of pragmatism in showing themselves ready to develop the ecosystem necessary to support this investment. Even if it is a complex operation. » A project that the EU has decided to support by mobilizing 40 million euros to stimulate the local biopharmaceutical industry.
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Because, with the arrival of BioNTech, everything remains to be built. Since everything is still lacking: even finding a company authorized to wash the protective clothing of laboratory workers is almost a mission impossible. In terms of regulation, the Rwandan medicines authority does not currently have the level of maturity necessary to be able to export pharmaceutical products. Twinnings have been established with European agencies to strengthen its technical expertise and support it towards certification.
Know-how transfers
The emergency mainly concerns human resources. “There is a skills gap in this area of vaccine manufacturingrecognizes Gisele Uwase, responsible for recruiting BioNTech staff in Rwanda. We try to address this with effective solutions. » In addition to the transfer of know-how with teams based in Germany, a partnership has been established with a Luxembourg university to provide specific training to new recruits. The Rwandan site should eventually have around a hundred employees, and “our ambition is that they are mainly from the continent”insists Mme Uwase.
At the same time, efforts are being made by the authorities with the help of donors to strengthen the talent pool, while qualified profiles are currently lacking. A master’s degree in biotechnology was launched in 2023 at the University of Rwanda, a first in the country. New university programs, creation of a biotechnology institute, development of a digital training offer… Several options are on the table to meet needs, including in auxiliary professions or medical research. And try to attract, beyond BioNTech, other companies in the pharmaceutical sector.