ZICCUM AB supports World Immunization Week with new initiatives highlighting regional Fill and Finish plants

Ziccum AB is actively supporting the WHO’s World Immunization Week 2021, this year with the theme ‘Vaccines Bring us Closer’. CEO Göran Conradson: “We’ll be attending meetings and policy events with vaccine bodies from around the world, sharing our vision of sustainable energy-efficient regional Fill and Finish plants able to produce dry powder thermostable vaccines onsite at volume. Ambient air-drying could play a profound role in enabling all countries to be more sustainable and self-sufficient in vaccine production, bringing us all closer to the essential value of vaccines.”

The WHO World Immunization Week takes place from April 24 – 30 2021. It is a global initiative, carried out in collaboration with countries worldwide, to drive immunization, promote vaccine use and ensure that governments get guidance and technical support in implementing high quality immunization programmes. This year’s WIW is organized around the theme ‘Vaccines Bring us Closer’

During the week, Ziccum will be attending global policy events as well as launching new accessible, educational content and a podcast sharing strategic and scientific information on new innovation in vaccine formulation.

CEO Göran Conradson: “Over the last year we have all come to understand the value of vaccines like never before – and the urgent need for better and fairer vaccine access worldwide.

Ziccum is planning to develop a series of small, modular Fill and Finish plants enabling regions to produce up to 30 million vials of dry powder vaccines, yielding up to 300 million doses, using its LaminarPace ambient air-drying technology. The first such plant is planned to be established in Lund, Sweden before being rolled out globally.

Each Fill and Finish plant would be highly energy-efficient, with a single site measuring just one sixth of the area of a soccer field. The plants will produce thermostable dry powder vaccines, which unlike today’s delicate glass-vial liquid vaccines can be stored and transported with no need for costly fridge and freezer supply chains.

“Thermostable dry powder vaccines don’t need the enormous plants, large teams or huge amounts of energy that conventional freeze-drying vaccine plants require” Conradson says. “We estimate that our new plant will use 80% less energy, 65% less OPEX and 50% less CAPEX costs than today's freeze-drying plants. We all know that reliable local vaccine access powers both sustainable development and pandemic preparedness. World Immunization Week is a great opportunity for us to get our story out there and meet with governments, international governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations and vaccine manufacturers across the globe who are also committed to new innovation in vaccine formulation.

“Only by working together can we optimise vaccine coverage – thereby saving lives, strengthening health systems and ensuring economic prosperity, in the face of pandemic and epidemic threats.”

Read more about WHO World Immunization Week here

#VaccinesWork to bring us closer