SENS Headlines
Aspen Statement on Manufacture and Supply of COVID-19 Vaccines

ASPEN PHARMACARE HOLDINGS LIMITED
(Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) (“Aspen Holdings”)
Registration number: 1985/002935/06
Share code: APN
ISIN: ZAE000066692
LEI: 635400ZYSN1IRD5QWQ94
and its subsidiaries (collectively “Aspen” or “the Group”)



ASPEN STATEMENT ON MANUFACTURE AND SUPPLY OF COVID-19 VACCINES

Aspen was extremely disappointed to learn over the past weekend that specific batches of the Johnson &
Johnson COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at our Gqeberha production site and designated for the South
African market have to be destroyed due to the Good Manufacturing Practice risk of isolated material in
the drug substance supplied to Aspen by Johnson & Johnson from their contract manufacturing partner in
the USA, Emergent. The batches manufactured had been retained in storage awaiting the outcome of the
US FDA assessment of Emergent. This is not only a setback to both the Aspen and Johnson & Johnson
teams who have worked tirelessly to ensure the manufacture of these batches, but more importantly, has
the potential to negatively impact the vaccine rollout across South Africa and Africa.

To mitigate the potential risk to vaccine access, and in substitution of the volumes lost, the following
actions have been undertaken:
    - Within days, Johnson & Johnson will provide 300 000 doses of the vaccine for South African
      teachers
    - Within a week, Aspen expects to release Johnson & Johnson vaccines manufactured from drug
      substance that has not been impacted by the Emergent contamination
    - Over the next few weeks, Johnson & Johnson will be delivering substantial quantities of compliant
      finished vaccines to South Africa to replace the lost stock thereby ensuring the momentum in the
      South African vaccine initiative is maintained
    - Aspen has further doses of the vaccine in production that will become available in July
    - These Johnson & Johnson vaccines released by Aspen will support the vaccination programmes in
      South Africa and elsewhere in Africa.

We thank the Aspen teams for their exemplary response in managing this setback and our partner, Johnson
& Johnson, who through their actions, have not only assisted in capacitating the African continent, but at
this challenging time have stepped up again to ensure that we are able to maintain the momentum needed
to give our continent access to lifesaving vaccines.



Durban
14 June 2021

Sponsor
Investec Bank Limited

Date: 14-06-2021 02:25:00

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