SHAH ALAM (Bernama): Sirim Bhd will cooperate with local institutions on studies during the preliminary stages of Covid-19 vaccine development in Malaysia, said Sirim group president and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Ahmad Sabirin Arshad.
Ahmad Sabirin said the three institutes involved were the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and the Veterinary Research Institute in Ipoh, Perak, and that Sirim would help carry out testing for the vaccine produced.
"Sirim is ready to play an important role of providing assurance in the development of local vaccines to comply with international standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing process.
"It has held discussions with the IMR to also contribute in the development of the vaccine at the pre-clinical stage, and vaccine production on a pilot scale," he said at a press conference during the Sirim-Selvax Drive-Thru Vaccination Programme at its headquarters on Saturday (July 31).
Ahmad Sabirin said Sirim also had the facility to conduct tests at the Industrial Biotechnology Research Centre (IBRC) which had met the test laboratory criteria required by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
He said Sirim had previously carried out various stages of testing on the Sinovac vaccine to confirm the process as well as ensure the final product was both safe and effective for recipients.
Meanwhile, Sirim chairman Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said the drive-through vaccination was to ensure the safety of Sirim staff.
"Today's drive-through programme aims to speed up the vaccination process and achieve herd immunity," he said.
According to Ahmad Tajuddin, they vaccinated 120 Sirim Shah Alam employees and their families with their first dose.
Earlier this month, Sirim had also vaccinated their employees at their Sabah office and its subsidiary National Precision Tooling Sdn Bhd. - Bernama
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
