Zuellig Pharma corporation welcomes arrival of COVID-19 vaccine Moderna doses in the Philippines

Zuellig Pharma Corporation assures adequate cold chain facilities to preserve COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna doses. Zuellig Pharma Corporation welcomes the arrival of the initial COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna doses in the Philippines together with the Inter-Agency Task Force Against COVID-19 (IATF), the Department of Health (DOH), the ICTSI Foundation, and the U.S Embassy at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna is the first U.S company COVID-19 vaccine to arrive in the Philippines that has an allocation for the private sector.

Zuellig Pharma Corporation was authorised by Moderna as the emergency use authorisation holder (through its commercialisation division, ZP Therapeutics) for its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines. According to Zuellig Pharma Corporation, the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna will be stored in its pharma-grade cold-chain facility in Paranaque City1 and will be delivered using its passive packaging system - the eZCooler solution, that ensures the integrity of temperature-sensitive vaccines during the last mile of transportation. 2

"Today marks an important day in the Philippines’ battle against COVID-19. Through the concerted efforts with the National Government, and the ICTSI Foundation the arrival of the newly procured COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna allows access for both private and public sectors. Together with the national government, the ICTSI Foundation, and Moderna, Zuellig Pharma Corporation bolsters its commitment in making healthcare more accessible to the communities we serve, helping Filipinos access these vaccines through effective, secure, and sustainable cold-storage facilities," shared Maikel Kuijpers, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of Zuellig Pharma Corporation Philippines.

"The arrival of the initial doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna is good news as we endeavor to reach population protection in the Philippines," added Jeff Folland, General Manager of ZP Therapeutics Philippines. "We are committed to utilise our deep knowledge and expertise in the country’s healthcare ecosystem, and work in close partnership with the national government, to help protect Filipinos from COVID-19," Folland concluded.

COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna vials are required to be stored in a freezer between -25 degrees Celsius and -15 degrees Celsius. In an earlier report, Zuellig Pharma Corporation reported that it has existing cold-storage facilities which can accommodate pharmaceutical products with temperature requirements ranging between -80°C to +25 °C.

"Our -15 to -25 °C walk-in freezers can hold up to 12 million doses. We also have 20 ultra-cold freezers with -80 to -70 °C temperature range that have the capacity to store up to 4.7 million doses2, ensuring shelf life for the procured vaccines is maximised." said Jannette Jakosalem, Chief Business Officer of Zuellig Pharma Corporation Philippines.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna has been approved for emergency use* in the United States, Canada, Israel, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Singapore, Qatar, Taiwan, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Paraguay, Japan and South Korea.