The Department of Agriculture says it never expressed a preference for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines to be purchased directly by the state. However, reliable sources cite a different course of events.
By Jasper Raats, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
This follows the announcement by local vaccine company Design Biologix on Monday, 2 February that it was informed by the Argentine manufacturer Biogénesis Bagó that the South African government prefers the company not to work with intermediaries and that Design Biologix can therefore not act as an agent. According to Design Biologix, the department was also negotiating to obtain the vaccine directly from the manufacturer.
This was also the claim of two other sources of African Farming, who had previously warned that officials from the Department of Agriculture met with the Argentine company in an attempt to wrest the supply contract from Design Biologix.
Also read: Argentinians withdraw Design Biologix’s authorisation for FMD vaccine
Meeting Did Take Place
According to a spokesperson for John Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture, a meeting did take place on 22 January between Biogénesis Bagó, Steenhuisen and departmental officials, as well as members of the Argentine Embassy in South Africa.
“The minister and the department indicated that they have no objection to Design Biologix’s role in importing the vaccine. It was further indicated that the Dollvet vaccine from Turkey also uses an agency model. At no point during the meeting was it suggested that the department had a preference to purchase vaccines directly,” she said.
According to her, the department’s priority remains the “immediate and sustained arrival of vaccines”, as a steady supply is the cornerstone of the national vaccination strategy to bring the current foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks under control.
Also read: FMD | Argentine vaccine could be in SA soon
‘Process’ Already in Final Stages
Contrary to this, Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP)’s acting CEO, Dr Jacob Modumo, confirmed to African Farming on Tuesday that this company is in talks with Biogénesis Bagó.
“We are finalising the administrative process and implementation issues will follow. Give us until the end of the week,” he said.
Biogénesis Bagó had already announced on 14 January that it had one million doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine ready for shipment to South Africa, with a further five million doses by March 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
In mid-January, the company formally authorised Design Biologix to act as its exclusive agent in South Africa and submit a Section 21 application to SAHPRA (South African Health Products Regulatory Authority) for the emergency import of the currently unregistered foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, Bioaftogen. The authorisation also confirmed the intention for an exclusive distribution agreement until December 2030. This has now all been revoked.
Dr Rodolfo Bellinzoni, a director of Biogénesis Bagó who met with the minister and his delegation on 22 January, has not yet responded to written questions from African Farming about the reasons for his company’s decision.
The vaccines are intended for use against the SAT 1, SAT 2 and SAT 3 strains of the foot-and-mouth disease virus. For South Africa’s livestock sector, the question now is whether the current uncertainty could cause further delays in the vaccine pipeline.
Also read: Steenhuisen hits back at industry groups over threatened FMD vaccine court action
