In a landmark move to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s biotechnology capabilities and pandemic readiness, CSL Seqirus and Vaccine Industrial Company (VIC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the country's Ministry of Health to localise manufacturing of cell-based seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines.
Under the final agreement, CSL Seqirus will supply its cell-based seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines while working with VIC to establish local production at the company’s new facility in Sudair City. The partnership will also create pre-pandemic vaccine stockpiles for high-risk populations and an Advance Purchase Agreement to secure pandemic vaccine supplies for the wider community, significantly boosting national preparedness.
Saudi Arabia’s onshore manufacturing program will enable scalable production and reduced reliance on global supply chains.
Cell-based influenza vaccines, designed to match WHO-selected strains precisely, are considered next-generation technology that can improve vaccine effectiveness by eliminating mutations sometimes introduced during traditional egg-based manufacturing. The approach also supports faster, more flexible scale-up during a pandemic by reducing dependence on limited biological materials.
The three parties intend to finalise the agreement to establish pandemic readiness by 2026 and supply locally manufactured cell-based flu vaccines for the 2026-27 season.
Dr Lorna Meldrum, CSL Seqirus Vice President of Commercial Operations, International and Pandemic Response, said the company was delighted to enter this public health partnership. “Seasonal influenza has a significant impact on families, the community and the health system in Saudi Arabia,” she said. “Through this collaboration, we will leverage the best of our differentiated vaccine portfolio with the strength of Vaccine Industrial Company’s local manufacturing expertise and networks to establish the Kingdom as a regional leader in preventing seasonal influenza.
“CSL Seqirus is already a pandemic-preparedness partner to more than 30 governments worldwide, and this partnership will elevate Saudi Arabia’s capabilities in responding to influenza — a disease that has caused four pandemics in the last century.”
Dr Khaled Al-Mosa, Founder and Chairman of VIC, said the company was proud to contribute to both the health and economic development of the Kingdom. “Our vaccine manufacturing facility will begin to come online from 2028, becoming the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and the largest in the Middle East,” he said. “We are delighted by the prospect of localising advanced cell-based influenza vaccine manufacturing for Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Health and CSL Seqirus, we can help save lives, strengthen regional health security, and reduce the impact of flu.”
Influenza remains one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant and fast-changing vaccine-preventable diseases. It is estimated to cause up to 6.3 million mild-to-moderate cases, 17,600 hospitalisations and 4,440 deaths each year. In 2024, 96 per cent of influenza patients admitted to intensive care had not been vaccinated.