by AHRI

July 8, 2013

 

Animal Health Research Institute (AHRI), Council of Agriculture (COA) announced that the Institute has signed a long-term strategic collaboration and technology exchange agreements with Lohmann Animal Health GmbH, the world’s fourth-largest supplier of poultry vaccines, in Taipei on Monday. The German company intends to invest US$100 million dollars in Taiwan to build a new vaccine manufacturing plant as well as construct an Asia’s R&D center. AHRI will continue developing various vaccines for livestock and poultry in collaboration with Lohmann. Through mutual collaboration projects, we expected to improve Taiwan’s vaccine technology in large-scale production and integrate with large international corporations. Also, with the help of Lomann’s global distribution channel, the vaccine research achievements of Taiwan will expand to the global biotechnology market and thus enable Taiwan to become a supplier and R&D center in the Asia-Pacific region.             

The cooperation project has taken six years and much effort by two general directors and relevant researchers of AHRI to get it ready. The work on the new factory should begin in the second half of the year on the premises of Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park (PABP) set up by COA, and the industry-academic collaboration programs for animal vaccine development as well as technology transfers will be carried out next year. By the time the cGMP facility is established, it will produce an estimated three billion doses of vaccine a year for pig, waterfowl and chicken yearly for export to Asia. Furthermore, about 35 percent of Asia’s avian vaccinations are supplied by Lohmann. We believe that this win-win project will be beneficial for both Taiwan and Lohmann in the future, not only improving the vaccine quality of Lohmann but creating a favorable position with lower production and shipping cost to promote Taiwan-made animal vaccines to Asia.

Once the industry-academic collaboration programs and technology transfers with Lohmann are completed, Taiwan’s ability of vaccine R&D will draw much attention and even get approval from large producers of animal vaccine, AHRI added. In the future, Lohmann is about to establish a cGMP animal vaccine factory conformed to European Union’s manufacturing standards, together with a R&D center in PABP, and also intends to employ 200 workers for vaccine R&D and production. In addition to improving employment opportunity, this cooperative venture will stimulate and advance related fields of animal vaccine industry to another level. The investment in the nation represents an important milestone in Taiwan’s animal vaccine industry. We are optimistic about looking towards greater globalization of the R&D, manufacture and marketing of Taiwan’s animal vaccines. The prospects are brightening and unlimited.