SK-manufactured AZ vaccines for export exceeds domestic use

18 serialized batches, about 5.4 million doses cleared on Mar. 9 for COVAX Facility

1.57 million doses supplied domestically, 1.05 million doses more to be supplied until May

The volume of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at SK Bioscience Andong plant for export cleared for lot release has exceeded the volume for domestic supply.

 

The AstraZeneca Korea COVID-19 Vaccine manufactured by SK Bioscience was authorized on Feb.

 

10, which the National Lot Release cleared 1.57 million doses of it on Feb.

 

17.

 

Since then, South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has been consistently approving the lot release for the export use.

 

MFDS official reported on Mar.

 

10, 18 serialized batches were approved for export as of Mar.

 

9.

 

As each serial number is given on 300,000 doses, basically about 5.4 million doses for export were cleared of lot release.

 

The export volume triples the 1.57 doses approved of the lot release for domestic use.

 

It means more of the domestically manufactured vaccines are supplied to foreign countries than to South Korea, as AstraZeneca is managing the batch distribution.

 

An industry insider elaborated, “Apparently, they have stocked up COVID-19 vaccines manufactured at Andong plant.

 

But because AstraZeneca, as a client for the consignment production, controls all steps from approval to lot release, it cannot be helped.” The exported lots are supplied as COVAX Facility, and recently those batches were designated to nearby Asian countries.

 

Fortunately, South Korea would receive additional batch of AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX Facility.

 

The government announced AstraZeneca vaccine doses for about 350,000 people would be designated by COVAX Facility within this month and total doses for 1.05 million people, including the doses for 700,000 people in April through May, would be designated to South Korea.

 

Highly likely the batches designated to South Korea would be manufactured by SK Bioscience.

 

But the vaccine maker could speed up the approval process as the batch could be manufactured outside of South Korea.

 

When applying for authorization in last January, AstraZeneca requested the authorization on two items—the vaccines made by SK Bioscience and imported from Italy.