A private South African veterinary vaccine company, recently awarded the sole agency to import and distribute an Argentine vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), has broken its silence after the agreement was unexpectedly terminated.
By Jasper Raats, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
On 15 January 2026, Design Biologix announced that it had been appointed as the exclusive agent to import the Argentine Bioaftogen vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Then, on 2 February, Biogénesis Bagó, the Argentine manufacturer of the vaccine, abruptly terminated the agreement – apparently after South African government officials insisted on concluding a direct agreement with the company.
According to Design Biologix, various pieces of correspondence indicate that Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) and senior officials in the Department of Agriculture had been working from the outset to undermine the vaccine agreement between it and Biogénesis Bagó.
The final straw for the company was likely when Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen implied, in an interview on 9 February at the Democratic Alliance’s North West provincial congress in Potchefstroom, that Design Biologix had withdrawn its application to import and distribute the vaccine, thereby resulting in the revocation of the agency agreement.
This is incorrect, said the company’s directors, Karen Nel and Dr Angela Buys, in a media statement.
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Parallel Processes
It was widely reported in the media that Design Biologix was initially one of only two industry bodies and designated agents appointed to import and distribute FMD vaccines, with Dunevax being the other, in respect of the Dollvet vaccine from Turkey.
On 14 January, Minister Steenhuisen publicly announced that Design had been appointed as the sole agent of Biogénesis Bagó in South Africa for the import and distribution of the Bioaftogen vaccine. He subsequently repeated this statement on several other occasions.
The company officially received the agency the following day, and on 16 January submitted a Section 21 application to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).
Design Biologix says that, subject to Section 21 authorisation being issued by SAHPRA, it was preparing to obtain 6 million emergency doses of the Bioaftogen vaccine from Biogénesis Bagó between February and April this year, with the aim of making the vaccine available at reasonable and competitive prices.
Also on 16 January, Design Biologix approached the Department of Agriculture to request urgent discussions with all stakeholders to determine the way forward for the import and distribution of the vaccine.
Dr Emily Mogajane, chairperson of the ministerial FMD task team, responded immediately by email, indicating that – in terms of a decision and because FMD is a state-controlled disease – OBP had the mandate to apply for the vaccine import permit, and that Dr Mike Modisane, the department’s chief veterinary officer, would liaise further with Design Biologix.
In a separate letter on 16 January, Mooketsa Ramasodi, director-general of Department of Agriculture, informed Design Biologix that the department was already in direct talks with Biogénesis Bagó about arrangements to import vaccine doses from Argentina, and that preparations were already under way for OBP to submit and finalise a Section 21 application with SAHPRA.
Design Biologix points out that no agency agreement existed at that stage between OBP and Biogénesis Bagó.
On 19 January, representatives of Design Biologix requested an urgent meeting with Ramasodi to clear up confusion surrounding the authorisation process for importing the vaccine. This meeting never took place.
According to Design Biologix, it was clear by then that two parallel processes were under way: its own Section 21 application and preparations to obtain 6 million emergency doses, alongside a separate attempt by OBP to take over the import process.
Dr Jacob Modumo, acting CEO of OBP, also contacted Biogénesis Bagó directly on 19 January and indicated that OBP was the only company representing the South African government to procure FMD vaccines, and that the administrative process for importing the Bioaftogen vaccine would be initiated by OBP (and therefore not by Design Biologix).
Mogajane and Modisane were also included in this correspondence.
The Ministry of Agriculture, however, denies that it plays any role in negotiations between international companies and potential local agents. “That is why we are working with Dunevax to procure the Dollvet vaccine,” its office said in response to questions from African Farming.
Also read: Where is Dr Maja in the FMD crisis? On leave, says department
Controversial Meeting
It appears that a meeting on 22 January between the minister, senior officials in the department, and representatives of Biogénesis Bagó and the Argentine embassy was the turning point.
Biogénesis Bagó informed Design Biologix shortly thereafter that representatives of the department had made it clear they preferred not to work through an intermediary and that the department wanted to be directly involved instead. The exclusive agency was terminated on 2 February.
According to the ministry, the meeting with Biogénesis Bagó focused exclusively on vaccine efficacy, international lessons and the technical assistance offered by the Argentine manufacturer. “Whom they choose or do not choose as local agents is their own affair. Our sole objective is to get the vaccines into the country and distribute them as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
The ministry says it will not allow itself to be drawn into “corporate intrigues and related matters”. “Our emphasis is exclusively on large-scale vaccine procurement and getting it into the field.”
The situation is all the more noteworthy given OBP’s own history. African Farming has repeatedly reported on production delays, management upheavals and financial pressure at the vaccine manufacturer. It was precisely this context that earlier led the Department of Agriculture to agree that private agents could import emergency vaccines.
African Farming is still awaiting feedback from the office of the Minister of Agriculture on a written query regarding correspondence between officials of the department and OBP with Design Biologix and Biogénesis Bagó.
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