Vietnam looks to cooperate with US vaccine developer

Vietnam wishes to cooperate with Pfizer Inc., one of the world's leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, in medicine and vaccine supply , and hopes it will invest in the production of drugs, vaccines and medical biological products in the Southeast Asian nation in the near future, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen has said.

The Vietnamese health official showed the desire at a meeting with representatives of Pfizer Inc. in New York on the occasion of his working trip to the US to attend the International Biology Conference in the US from June 5-8.

Tuyen thanked the US government and people as well as Pfizer for their provision of vaccines and medical supplies for Vietnam in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Pfizer has also provided many high-quality specific medicines for Vietnam, contributing to the health care in the country, Tuyen said.

For his part, Timothy Hogan, senior vice president of external relations at Pfizer Inc., affirmed that Vietnam is one of the countries that the firm prioritises cooperation with. He also offered recommendations for Vietnam to develop biopharmaceutical industry, such as building a leading scientific centre for producing high-quality medicines in the ASEAN region, promoting development and application of digital health, and creating a stable and favourable environment for cooperation to attract investment in the health sector.