Government Pharmaceutical Organization
Location: Saraburi Province, Thailand
Project: Thailand Self Sufficient for Pandemic Vaccines; Influenza and COVID-19
Each year, the ISPE FOYA competition recognizes a facility for its social impact. As the world continues to take on the challenges associated with a once-in-a-century pandemic, it is more than appropriate that we recognize the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) in Thailand for its social impact, as the facility manufactures vaccines and expands affordable access to life-saving medication.
GPO has been a steady force for good in Thailand even as political instability and natural disasters have shaken public institutions across the country. A part of the government of Thailand, GPO produces vaccines in a government-owned facility, where a key focus is providing free inoculations to high-risk groups. Increased patient access, such as the kind GPO offers, prevents drug shortages by manufacturing critical medications for patients. As a result, GPO helps mitigate the consequences of rapidly developing public health crises through rapidly-deployed vaccines.
The progress GPO has made on developing a COVID-19 vaccine has been collaborative in nature. Working together with the University of Texas, Mount Sinai, GPO has utilized the same egg-based technology employed in its production of influenza vaccines.
Another part of the GPO success story – qualifying it for social impact recognition – is sustainability in its facility design. This has reduced the environmental impact of GPO on Thailand and, ultimately, the world. Waste treatment is a priority for GPO. Attempting to adopt a zero-waste concept, solid waste from eggs used in production is recycled – decontaminated, dehydrated, and grounded - and used as fertilizer or in cement blocks. The GPO plant also uses roof-top solar panels that provide 800 kilowatts of power. But GPO will not stop there. The team hopes to ramp up use of solar panels to produce 1,200 kilowatts of power, which would make the plant self-sufficient when it comes to the use of electricity.
The work GPO is doing has not gone unnoticed. GPO vaccine production efforts – involving egg-based technology – have won many awards including one for social contributions at the Thailand National Innovation Awards, one for excellence in research at the National Research Council of Thailand, and one for excellence from the ASIA-Pacific Bioprocessing Excellence Awards.
For the reasons discussed above and others, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization of Thailand is the recipient of the 2021 ISPE FOYA “Social Impact” Award.
Supply Partners
Manufacturer/Owner Name - The Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO)
Engineer/Architects (A&E):
- M+W (Thailand) Ltd
- STEPWISE.CO,LTD.
- Miti Civil Engineer Co., Ltd
Construction Manager - M+W (Thailand) Ltd
Main/General Contractor - M+W (Thailand) Ltd
Piping Subcontractor - AES Engineering Co., Ltd.
HVAC Subcontractor - AES Engineering Co., Ltd.
Automation and Control Supplier - The Auto-info Co. Ltd.
Major Equipment Suppliers/Contractors:
- Filling & Capping & Inspection & Incubator Machines - Entech Associate Co., Ltd.
- Formulate Mixer & Oven & Decontamination Machines - Oskon Co., Ltd.
- Water for injection & Clean Steam Generator - Unique Industrial Products Co. Ltd.
- Autoclave & Washing & Isolator Machines - N.Y.R. Limited partnership
- Inoculator & Harvester Machines - SCIENTIFIC PROMOTION Co. Ltd.
- Hatching & Candling Machines - Prima Scientific Co., Ltd.
- Continuous Ultracentrifuge (CC40) Machine - Bio-Active Co., Ltd.
- Solar Roof Top - Provincal Electricity Authority (PEA)
- Softener & Purify Water system - Liquid Purification Engineering International Co., Ltd.
- Dehydrator - Disposal Matters Inc.
- Generator 2000KV - Tharikan Company Limited
- Transformer 2500 KV - Transformer 2500 KV