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TOP STORIES BUSINESS LO GI S T IC S is Orion’s Tu
rku laboratory installed and becomes fully operational later in 2022, it will be the only regional manufacturing hub on the continent outside of South Africa capable of producing finished COVID-19 and other life-saving vaccines. BUSINE S S S T R AT EG Y . investment in these areas and to develop treatments for patients as efficiently as possible, rather than making smaller investments in a larger number of research areas. This is also the most effective way to support Orion’s growth strategy,” says Outi Vaarala, Senior Vice President, R&D, Orion. Orion will initiate negotiations concerning in total 430 salaried employees and senior salaried employees in Espoo, Turku and Kuopio in the research areas in which investment would be discontinued as a result of the refocusing. These areas are neurodegenerative and rare diseases. The negotiations may lead, at most, to reductions of 37 persons, states the company. If the plans are put into effect, the refocused R&D function is expected to start by summer 2022. The shipment of this facility is an important step towards realizing the vision of Project MADIBA, led by Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD). The project has received support from the government of Senegal, Africa CDC, WHO, CEPI and other partners, and is supported by a global collaboration of funders and companies. These include KeyPlants and MEDInstill, which provides the novel vaccine manufacturing equipment utilized in the facility. “Over a year after lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines were made broadly available to high-income countries, only 15 percent of Africa has been fully immunized. Against this backdrop, IPD remains focused on our vision to build and operate a vaccine manufacturing facility in Senegal that can produce vaccines for Africa as soon as possible,” says Amadou Sall, Director of Institut Pasteur de Dakar. 12 NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG