Q & A: Shedding light on the ‘fill and finish’ process

IN response to public query, Pharmaniaga Bhd has detailed its procedures, process of producing and distributing the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine.

Q: How much filled and finished doses have been produced by Pharmaniaga LifeScience Sdn Bhd (PLS)?

A: As of Saturday, PLS has produced 1,889,800 doses. Some 290,480 doses have been distributed to the Health Ministry starting on May 11. About 320,000 doses are awaiting the Lot Release process by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority (NPRA) while 319,320 doses are being sent out. The remaining 960,000 doses are undergoing 12 stringent quality tests before the Lot Release process. It is expected that some 720,000 doses will be ready between May 23 and 31 for tests. A total of 2,609,800 doses will be produced by the end of May.