Russia, Nicaragua planning to build vaccine plant in Nicaragua by end of 2015
MOSCOW. Sept 8 (Interfax) - Russia and Nicaragua are planning to complete the construction of a factory for the production of vaccines in Managua (Nicaragua) before the end of 2015, the deputy director of the Federal Medical-Biology Agency (FMBA) of Russia, Viktor Nazarov, said at a press conference.
The project is being implemented by FSUE St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums of the FMBA of Russia, the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security and scientific development and production center Microgen of the Russian Health Ministry. In May of this year the sides signed a trilateral agreement, as part of which it was planned to build production sites.
According to Nazarov, the first stage of the plant - for the bottling and packaging of immunobiological drugs - will be built before the end of 2015. At the second stage of the project, the timeline for which has not yet been determined, it is planned to build a vaccine plant.
The cost of this project is estimated at 550 million rubles.
"We [Russia] are getting access to the Nicaraguan market, and also to the markets of states which have an agreement with Nicaragua on mutual recognition of product certification," Nazarov said. "Russia has a unique opportunity to enter world markets and Nicaragua has the unique opportunity to receive high-quality products at reasonable and affordable prices," he said.
In accordance with the trilateral agreement, Russia also intends to supply Nicaragua with immunobiological drugs. Nazarov said the delivery of the first consignment of 100,000 doses of vaccinations is planned for December 2014.
The cooperation of Russia and Nicaragua also means carrying out joint development and transfers of technologies.
At present Nicaragua does not produce vaccines that are required by the Health Ministry and included on the national immunization calendar. Such vaccines are supplied by foreign organizations annually at a set cost for the Nicaraguan government.
