Aspen Pharmacare is in advanced discussions over a potential licensing agreement to package the Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa, it said yesterday.
The share price leapt 5.58 percent on the JSE yesterday to close at R224.22.
Aspen did not mention the name of the company with which it was in talks, but in early September it said it was in talks with US pharma giant Johnson & Johnson over a vaccine packaging licence.
Aspen currently packages J&J's Covid-19 vaccine at its South African plant under contract, which means it does not have any pricing or distribution power over the product.
Aspen has said previously it was also looking to expand its Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing under a contract with J&J, from 300 million to about 450 million doses by February next year.
REUTERS and BUSINESS REPORT