S.Africa's Aspen to slash COVID vaccine capacity within 6 weeks if no orders

 Aspen Pharmacare will switch about half of its COVID-19 vaccine production capacity onto other products if demand doesn't pick up within six weeks, its CEO warned, as South Africa's president and health officials urged more Africans to take up the shots.

Aspen APNJ.J completed a deal in March to package, sell and distribute Johnson & Johnson's JNJ.N COVID-19 vaccine in what was considered a game-changing moment for an under-vaccinated continent frustrated by sluggish Western handouts.

However, while only a sixth of adults in Africa are fully vaccinated, according to the latest World Health Organization figures, expectations of high demand for the South African firm's own-brand version of the shot have proved misplaced.

Aspen said on Saturday it had not received a single order for its Aspenovax vaccine.

https://www.userwalls.com/n/africa-aspen-slash-covid-vaccine-capacity-weeks-orders-ceo-3182890/