He mentioned that until about seven or eight years ago, the institute produced around 300,000 doses of the bovine theileriosis vaccine annually, facing significant transportation challenges throughout those years. However, the recent innovation in vaccine production has effectively addressed this issue.
During the ceremony, Dr. Es-haghi highlighted the institute's responsibilities in research and production, emphasizing that Razi Institute supplies most of the country's medical vaccines. He explained, "We produce several essential vaccines, including polio, measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, and mumps". Additionally, the institute manufactures therapeutic serums for snake and scorpion bites, tuberculin, and other antigens.
Looking ahead, he mentioned plans to produce injectable pneumococcal and polio vaccines and to reintroduce the whooping cough vaccine into the production line after overcoming related challenges.
He also pointed out that until recently, Razi Institute accounted for 95% of the domestic market for veterinary vaccines. With the emergence of knowledge-based companies, these firms are now collaborating alongside Razi to contribute to the production of veterinary vaccines.
Dr. Es-haghi stated that in the poultry sector, Razi Institute currently holds approximately 33% of the domestic market share, with the majority of poultry vaccines being imported. However, the food security document and the seventh development plan aim for domestic vaccine producers to supply 70% of the market.
Regarding aquatics vaccines, he acknowledged that while there are existing products from the Shiraz branch, the aim is to increase local production to 70%, which has been assigned to the Shiraz site.
Dr. Es-haghi emphasized that Razi Institute produces over 3.5 billion doses of various vaccines annually, playing a crucial role in public health and food security. "All 80 products produced by Razi are the result of indigenous knowledge and the research and development efforts of our scientists, from the design phase to market readiness," he stated.
He added that 25 additional products are currently in the research and development pipeline to expand the national production portfolio.
The vaccines from Razi Institute are produced in three forms: inactivated, live attenuated, and recombinant proteins. Notably, recombinant vaccines represent the third generation of vaccines, with their production infrastructure established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the establishment of this infrastructure has significantly advanced the country's vaccine production capabilities. The facility is equipped to cover over 95% of mRNA vaccine production.
During the ceremony, Mohammad Mahdi Namavari, the lead researcher behind the new vaccine, and a faculty member at the Shiraz branch and his research team were honored for their contributions.