LIFERA, SANOFI and ARABIO Sign MOU to Manufacture and Supply Vaccines in Saudi Arabia, Boosting Local Production with a New State-Of-The-Art Manufacturing Facility

Lifera, a biopharmaceutical company in Saudi Arabia together with Sanofi, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies specializing in vaccine development and Arabio announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which aims to strengthen local manufacturing of vaccines in Saudi Arabia.

Under the terms of the MOU, Lifera, Sanofi and Arabio will explore opportunities for collaboration to help advance Saudi Arabia’s vaccines localization strategy through a range of proposed initiatives that include Lifera being a contract manufacturer to Sanofi, through state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities and capabilities, as well as leveraging Arabio and Tamer Group’s, local and regional distribution strength in vaccines and other key pharmaceutical products.

Dr. Ibrahim Aljufalli
Chairman of the Lifera Board, said:
“As a newly established biopharmaceutical company, we are committed to working with global and local partners to achieve our mission – and this MOU is a testament to that commitment. By collaborating with Sanofi, an innovative global healthcare leader, Lifera is facilitating the transfer of world-class technology and expertise to Saudi Arabia and most importantly, bringing the highest-quality vaccines to Saudi citizens, enhancing national resilience and self-sufficiency. Lifera is committed to building manufacturing capacity to cGMP standards with international partners, and at the right scale to serve Saudi and global markets.”

The MOU reflects Lifera’s strategic mission to increase national resilience and grow the biopharma sector by enabling technology transfer, the creation of a skilled biopharmaceutical workforce and advancing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Faisal Tamer 
Chairman of Arabio and Vice-Chairman of Tamer Group
“Our vaccine localization effort at Arabio is approaching a critical milestone. We are thrilled to announce our partnership with “Lifera”, joining hands in pharmaceutical localization efforts. Since the inception of Arabio, our aspiration has been to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s efforts to prevent diseases and ensure biosecurity. Arabio and the Tamer Group are focused on supplying consumers in Saudi Arabia with healthcare products of the highest quality together with a broad network of leading global partner companies. We believe this potential partnership is just the beginning of the development of the Saudi biopharmaceutical sector and will create several new opportunities for talent to grow in this vital sector.”

Tamer Group, the main shareholder in Arabio, is an integrated healthcare and wellness Group in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region offering a portfolio of products and services that contribute to personal wellness and public health.

Fokion Sinis 
Vaccines General Manager for Sanofi Greater Gulf
“As one of the leading global vaccines manufacturers and as a strategic partner to Saudi Arabia and an enabler of Vision 2030, Sanofi is committed to increasing vaccine accessibility and supporting Saudi Arabia’s goal to reduce its reliance on pharmaceutical imports. This MOU further builds on this commitment, enabling us to share our global expertise and contribute to advancing the public health agenda and industrial sector development of the country, ultimately benefitting patients and communities in Saudi Arabia.”

Sanofi has been a leader in vaccines for over 100 years. Every year, over half a billion people are vaccinated with Sanofi’s vaccines worldwide, including more than 10 million in the Gulf region. In 2022, Sanofi distributed more than six million doses of its quadrivalent influenza vaccine in the region, making it the No. 1 pediatric, meningitis and influenza vaccine supplier across the Gulf.  Globally through its research and development efforts, Sanofi aims to bring 10 new vaccine candidates into clinical trials by 2025.