KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 12): Pharmaniaga Bhd has secured a letter of acceptance (LoA) from the Ministry of Health (MoH) to supply an additional six million doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine.

Pharmaniaga said the LoA, issued to its wholly-owned subsidiary Pharmaniaga LifeScience Sdn Bhd (PLS), requires the company to start supplying the vaccine doses immediately and complete by the end of August.

"This LoA will increase the total accumulated supply of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 20.4 million doses," it said in a statement.

Pharmaniaga successfully completed its obligation to supply 12.4 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine to the federal government on July 16, four-and-a-half months ahead of the contract schedule.

The latest order, it said, is on top of another additional two million doses previously ordered by MoH on July 26.

"We are honoured and grateful for the trust given by the government to continue our supply and distribution of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine in order to help maintain the current high vaccination rate momentum," said Pharmaniaga group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope.

"Pharmaniaga's capability to supply large quantities of vaccine in the shortest time was further proven by the completion of two million additional orders made at the end of July 2021. We are working hard to ensure the new order of six million doses will be fulfilled on time.

"With the recent increase in capacity of PLS' plant to produce four million doses a month as well as the enlarged capacity of the Sinovac plant in China, Pharmaniaga is able to ensure an effective provision and distribution of the additional supply of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to MoH without disrupting our existing vaccine supplies to the state governments and private sector," added Zulkarnain.

In a separate stock exchange filing, Pharmaniaga said the parties involved have also agreed to execute a supplementary agreement to enable PLS to sell and deliver to the government the quantity of doses requested.

PLS will supply both imported as well as fill-and-finish products.

"The [LoA] and collaboration contemplated therein will serve as a platform for the company to assist the nation in supplying the vaccine. It will also help Malaysia achieve its targeted vaccination rate," Pharmaniaga said.

The LoA will have a material effect on the group's earnings and earnings per share for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2021, it added.

At 3.43pm, shares of Pharmaniaga were up 1.5 sen or 1.73% to 88 sen, valuing the group at RM1.15 billion.