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Aspen concludes a collaboration agreement to manufacture and make available four Aspen-branded vaccines for Africa.

Durban, South Africa – JSE Limited listed Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (APN), a global multinational specialty pharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that one of its wholly-owned South African subsidiaries, Aspen SA Operations (Pty) Limited (“Aspen SA Operations”), has concluded a ten-year agreement (“the Agreement”) with Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd (“the Serum Institute”), the world’s largest vaccine producer, for Aspen SA Operations to manufacture, market and distribute four Aspen-branded routine vaccines in Africa, excluding certain markets due to the Serum Institute having granted prior rights to third parties. The terms of Agreement for the vaccines, namely Pneumococcal Vaccine, Rotavirus Vaccine, Poly valent Meningococcal Vaccine and Hexavalent Vaccine (“the Products”), include a technical transfer and formulation, fill and finish arrangement which grants Aspen SA Operations the rights to: (i) manufacture the Products from bulk drug substance supplied by the Serum Institute; and (ii) make available the Products to markets in Africa by means of transactions with designated multilateral organisations, national governments of member states of the African Union (“AU”), and other public and private market customers. Under the Agreement, Aspen SA Operations has secured a license to the enabling know how from the Serum Institute and there is a good faith undertaking between the Parties to discuss the expansion of the Agreement to include new products or new versions of the Products. In addition to the Agreement, Aspen also anticipates receiving grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (”the Gates Foundation”) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (“CEPI”) to support African regional manufacturing capacity for the affordable supply of vaccines to, among others, African countries and Gavi / UNICEF, as well as contributing to pandemic preparedness through rights to a share of Aspen’s vaccine manufacturing capacity over a period of ten years. According to Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), currently less than 1% of vaccines used on the continent contain any local manufacture, yet through GAVI, UNICEF, COVAX and the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (“AVATT”), hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine are supplied to African countries to support both the Expanded Programme on Immunization (“EPI”), protecting children from a range of vaccine preventable diseases, as well as the provision of COVID-19 vaccines for the general population. Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said, “Africa has learnt from the experience of previous pandemics including HIV and now COVID, that regional capacities are fundamental to solving regional health challenges. The agreement concluded with the Serum Institute, and the anticipated grant funding from the Gates Foundation and CEPI, complement our previously stated commitment to expand sustainable and durable vaccine manufacturing on the continent to reduce Africa’s global vaccine dependency. We look forward to partnering with Adar and the Serum Institute. They are the largest manufacturers of vaccines globally and have a proven record of supporting universal healthcare. Aspen is now well-positioned as a first mover to contribute to Continental and, by implication, global health security through the provision of world-class, competitive and proven vaccine manufacturing capability and capacity.” The Products will be produced at Aspen’s manufacturing facility in Gqeberha which has accreditation from a range of stringent international regulatory authorities and provides medicines and vaccines to improve the health and quality of life of patients in both the domestic and international markets. Adar Poonawalla, The Serum Institute CEO, said “We are pleased to be partnering with Aspen and to support them in fulfilling their vaccine ambitions for Africa. We endorse their efforts to contribute towards reducing the Continent’s global vaccine dependency and we are confident that the Products will provide enhanced opportunities of wellbeing for all patients in Africa.” Mark Suzman, Chief Executive Officer, Gates Foundation, said, “Despite significant successes in expanding access to vaccines and reducing child mortality, the recent inequities exposed by the COVID pandemic have clearly highlighted the need to strengthen Africa’s capacity to manufacture its own life-saving vaccines. As a critical step to closing this gap we are proud to be able to provide financial and technical support to this new partnership between the Serum Institute of India and Aspen and look forward to working closely with them and other regional partners to expand the supply and sources of vaccines for African and global markets going forward. This is in line with our work over two decades with a range of partners, including GAVI and Serum, to help build a diversified ecosystem to develop, manufacture and distribute high-quality, low-cost vaccines for low- and middle-income countries.” Dr Richard Hatchett, CEPI Chief Executive Officer, added “CEPI’s partnership with Aspen, SII, and BMGF is an exciting step towards expanding vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa, for Africa. This partnership will enhance the region’s health security and represents an important step towards preventing the kind of gross inequities of access to lifesaving vaccines that emerged during the pandemic. “Manufacturers need sustainable and resilient business models between outbreaks, so their facilities and workforce can be ready to spring into action when needed during an epidemic or pandemic, and public sector investment will be key to unlocking this sustainability in Africa. We are proud to be part of an effort that will secure critically needed vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa, for Africa, so that it can be ready when it faces future epidemic or pandemic threats.” On 10 May 2022, The AU called for agencies responsible for bulk purchasing of vaccines to offtake at least 30% of all vaccines produced by Africa for global consumption. In Africa, 99% of all vaccines administered are currently imported. Enhancing access to medicines is at the forefront on Aspen’s ESG strategy. “Africa is a significant consumer of a range of vaccines and demand will grow further in the next decade, yet the vast bulk of those vaccines are sourced from outside the continent. The Covid pandemic laid bare Africa’s vulnerability when supplies are constrained globally. We therefore welcome the announcement of the partnership for the production of routine vaccines by Aspen,” said Mr Ebrahim Patel,

SED Initiatives

Aspen partners with HappiMe to support Jiyana Secondary School

Stavros Nicolaou, far left with students who gratefully received Aspen’s donation of computers and tablets. Johannesburg – Aspen Pharmacare, a leading global specialty and branded multinational pharmaceutical company, has donated 25 computers and 30 tablets to Jiyana Secondary School which produced one of the top performing students in Ekurhuleni in 2021. This donation forms part of the “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow” program of the United Nations and involved a collaboration between Aspen, HappiMe and the South African Presidency, where the Ministry of Women and Children is hosted. In March 2022, Aspen also refurbished Jiyana’s computer laboratory and provided additional equipment to enhance learning within this area of the school’s curriculum. These donations exemplify Aspen’s ongoing dedication towards ensuring the empowerment of our youth, women and South Africa’s future leaders. Aspen, together with the HappiMe Foundation, also donated sanitary pads for 894 girls in support of Women’s Month and as part of the Help a Girl Child Pad Drive in a bid to address and assist in combating the prevalent issue of period poverty, which has caused the stigmatisation and associated absence of female scholars. Stavros Nicolaou Aspen Group Senior Executive Strategic Trade said, “Aspen is fully committed to the future of our young people and these donations represent a gateway to quality education and future leadership opportunities. These students already have capable teachers, so providing this additional support will give them a further advantage and assist in prospectively producing additional top achieving students at the end of the academic year. The donation of hygiene products is in line with our key sustainability goals of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, as well as achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls.” Aspen officially handed over the donation together with the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Ms Thembi Siweya who said, “We want to thank Aspen for this positive gesture and their keen interest in community development. We hope that the school management and learners will look after this equipment and use it to improve the learning outcomes.” Dr Keorapetse Tabane-Hlongwa, founder of the HappiMe Foundation who qualified as the first black medical oncologist in South Africa in 2008, initially approached Aspen to partner with the HappiMe Foundation in their dedicated fight against period poverty. This Foundation strives to provide sanitary towels to girls in disadvantaged communities in order to combat unnecessary school absenteeism. Dr Tabane-Hlongwa said, “We hope to connect with and inspire them, their story echoing ours, having grown up in similar communities as them. We want girls to be reminded that they can, they matter, they are seen, that they are.”

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Aspen’s response to Monkeypox being declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by WHO

Durban – JSE listed company Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (Aspen), a global multinational specialty pharmaceutical company, is positively positioned to respond as a third party for capacity fill opportunities following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) declaration of monkeypox being a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This declaration is the first since that announced by WHO for COVID-19 in January 2020. At the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, Aspen was able to swiftly respond by making its extensive sterile formulation, fill and finish capabilities available in response to immediate surging demands. It would be in a position to step in and replicate this for Monkeypox should global circumstances and demands require this. Monkeypox was declared a PHEIC by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference on 23 July 2022. The announcement was made given the rapid spread of the virus which has increased from 3 040 cases in 47 countries in June 2022 to more than 16 000 reported cases from 75 countries and territories, with five deaths reported. Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said, “Aspen has always been at the forefront of providing healthcare solutions for global pandemics, as we did with the launch of one of the first generic antiretrovirals for the treatment of HIV/Aids in August 2003. We also responded swiftly and decisively to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, initially through global contributions which we made with both our anaesthetics portfolio and dexamethasone supply. This action complemented our initiatives to build capacity and expertise to support global efforts and, in particular, address vaccine access inequality. This was achieved through partnership and licensing arrangements culminating in the potential to manufacture and supply the first and only locally finished COVID-19 vaccine, Aspenovax, in Africa for Africa.” “Aspen once again stands ready to support the global effort needed to contain the latest threat which monkeypox represents, and we are available to do so through collaborations that would utilise our world class sterile and vaccine manufacturing facilities.” Aspen has invested significantly in its sterile manufacturing site in Gqeberha, this being the single largest investment in the pharmaceutical industry in South Africa. The sterile facility, which was officially opened by President Cyril Ramaphosa in March 2021, contains high-technology, state-of-the-art pharmaceutical equipment and systems to manufacture advanced sterile medicines, including vaccines.

Aspen hosts more than 800 Mandela Day activities over 12 years

“Our purpose, To improve the health and quality of life of patients is closely aligned to the ethos of Mandela Day. This has been clearly demonstrated through our endeavours to provide citizens across the continent with vaccines which are manufactured in South Africa for Africa.” Durban – JSE Limited listed Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited (“Aspen”), a global specialty and branded pharmaceutical company, has hosted more than 800 activities over 12 years in celebration of the annual Nelson Mandela International Day (“Mandela Day”). Stephen Saad, Aspen Group Chief Executive said, “Our purpose, To improve the health and quality of life of patients is closely aligned to the ethos of Mandela Day. This has been clearly demonstrated through our endeavours to provide citizens across the continent with vaccines which are manufactured in South Africa for Africa. Aspen has participated in Mandela Day since 2011 and we continue to endorse the campaign which this year calls on people across the world to “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are”. Our employees have shown their humanitarian spirit celebrating Mandela Day globally in spite of the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. They have stood firm and continued to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others, particularly during recent years when the world needed a touch of kindness the most.” “Through Mandela Day, we live our ethos of Healthcare. We Care as we work alongside an extensive range of beneficiaries across 6 continents,” added Saad. “These include abandoned, neglected, orphaned or abused babies, children and women; the elderly, hungry and homeless; individuals dealing with mental wellness challenges; students who are eager to be educated; those who are disabled; victims of the Ukrainian conflict; residents at social rehabilitation institutions; and healthcare facilities and their patients who are in dire need of support and equipment, among others.” The Nelson Mandela Foundation’s focus for 2022 is to promote community and home-based gardens, supporting fruit and indigenous tree planting, and creating awareness of the intersections between food security and climate change. Similarly, a number of Aspen’s activities include environmental efforts such as tree planting; garden maintenance, preservation and enhancement; repackaging, repurposing and distributing surplus food; recycling and fighting pollution. Aspen’s Mandela Day projects cover a wide spectrum of initiatives that include healthcare, nutrition, education, social enhancement and development, infrastructural improvements, animal wellbeing, preserving the environment, and providing employees with the opportunity to show kindness to citizens of all ages from all walks of life. Since initiating our annual Mandela Day Campaign in 2011, Aspen has impacted the lives of some 880 000 beneficiaries through more than 810 projects hosted across 40 countries. Read more about Aspen’s Mandela Day activities at www.aspenmandeladay.com, follow us on FaceBook, Twitter or LinkedIn and engage on social media via #aspenmandeladay.

Aspen donates life-saving surgical anaesthetics for about 240 000 Lebanese patients

Aspen’s donation of anaesthetics to Lebanese patients Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Global Incorporated, a subsidiary of Pharmacare Limited, Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, has donated a second supply of life-saving anaesthetics to Lebanon to facilitate surgical interventions to treat an additional 79 000 patients. This donation follows on Aspen’s donation of anaesthetics and oncology products sent to Lebanon in November 2021 to enable the treatment of more than 160 500 patients. Both donations were graciously shipped at no charge by CMA CGM Group from Belgium to Beirut. On 4 August 2020 the world’s largest non-nuclear ammonium nitrate blast occurred in Beirut, claiming the lives of more than 200 civilians and leaving more than 300 000 homes damaged and destroyed. This catastrophe occurred at a time when the country was experiencing its worst economic decline in decades. The resultant financial and humanitarian crisis has escalated unabated amid the COVID-19 pandemic, banking restrictions and further economic decline. Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Senior Executive, Strategic Trade said, “Aspen’s primary focus is to save lives and to treat patients around the world with our high quality products, irrespective of their circumstances. The economic and humanitarian crisis being experienced in Lebanon has had a crippling impact on its people, who deserve optimal healthcare, access to critical care, surgical and life-saving interventions. We are pleased to be able to provide a second donation of life-saving anaesthetics to Lebanon, particularly given their dire situation and shortage of critical medical supplies. As the largest manufacturer of anaesthetics outside the United States, we are confident that these donations will contribute towards the recovery of Lebanese patients who are in desperate need of treatment.” “We are grateful for the collaborative efforts between Mr Kabalan Frangieh, Ambassador of Lebanon to South Africa, Dr Firas Abiad, Minister of Public Health in Lebanon and multiple resources within Aspen who have facilitated these donations.” Mr Kabalan Frangieh, Ambassador to Lebanon in South Africa, said, “When the embassy started the campaign, we never dreamt that we would be able to make such a difference in the lives of the people in Lebanon. That was until Aspen heard our call and gracefully donated a substantial amount of anaesthetic and oncology products when Lebanon was in great need. The donations of Aspen and CMA CGM Group, together with the coordination of Lebanon’s Honorary Consul in Madagascar Mrs Michelle Azar-Hiridjee, made all the difference to our Lebanese patients.”

Accolades

Aspen presented with prestigious SAIC Business Award

Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Pharmacare, a global specialty and branded pharmaceutical company was honoured at the 4th South African Investment Conference (“SAIC”) when it was presented with an award, by South African President Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, recognising Companies that Best Responded to the Challenges of the COVID Environment. The award acknowledges the role that Aspen has played in localising efforts to manufacture vaccines. Aspen has invested more than R8 billion in pharmaceutical manufacture at their flagship site in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape with a further investment of R500 million announced at the 2022 SAIC. Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Group Senior Executive Strategic Trade said, “It is an honour for Aspen to be presented with the 2022 SAIC Business Award. We are committed to quality healthcare for all patients across the 150 countries that we distribute our products to, but Africa will always be one of our priorities. Our actions during the COVID pandemic are testimony to our resolve. During this time we have invested significantly in sterile manufacture to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, and we recently secured a license agreement to produce our own COVID-19 vaccine, Aspenovax, for distribution throughout Africa. We remain fully committed to ensuring the equitable and sustainable supply of vaccines on the African continent.” “The SA Investment Conference is a key priority for the South African Presidency and is front and center of South Africa’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan. Our commitments support President Ramaphosa’s goal of attracting R1.2 trillion in investments over 5 years of which 90% has already been secured. Aspen has been a significant contributor to this target having executed two investment pledges with one of these fully executed which has converted our Gqeberha site into one of the world’s largest manufacturing hubs for general anaesthetics.”

SED Initiatives

Aspen announces R500 million investment at 4th SAIC

Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Pharmacare, a global specialty and branded pharmaceutical company and Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, has announced a further investment of some R500 million to its flagship pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Gqeberha. The announcement comes in the wake of more than R8 billion which Aspen has already invested in this world class manufacturing site in the Eastern Cape. Implementation of the project commenced in November 2021 and the investment will provide additional capacity for fill and finish of a range of sterile products including vaccines. Addressing guests at the South Africa Investment Conference hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Stavros Nicolaou, Aspen Group Senior Executive Strategic Trade said, “Aspen remains committed to South Africa – this is where our roots are, so Gqeberha is a natural base from which to expand our manufacturing capacity for the African continent. This additional investment in capacity expansion will increase output of our 2R vaccine vials from 60 million to 150 million per annum and it will assist Africa in addressing the unequal distribution of vaccines and provide enhanced capacity for pandemic preparedness.” As a strong advocate of local partnerships, Aspen has engaged engineering consultants and contractors from Gqerberha and Johannesburg for the project which is expected to complete in March 2023. Aspen’s highly specialised sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities at the site provide employment and skills development opportunities to nearly 500 employees.

SED Initiatives

Aspen donates life-saving medicines for 62000 surgeries in Ukraine

Johannesburg, South Africa – Aspen Pharmacare, Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, has extended its support to Ukraine with donations of life-saving medicines required for urgent surgical intervention. This action further demonstrates Aspen’s ongoing commitment to saving lives and improving the quality of life of patients irrespective of their location or circumstances. Stavros Nicolaou Aspen Senior Executive said, “We are in the business of saving lives and the impact of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine cannot be ignored. Ukraine is desperate for critical care, surgical and life-saving interventions and as a leading global supplier of anaesthetics and other critical medicines, we are doing everything in our power to support this humanitarian effort. We have worked tirelessly with the Embassy of Ukraine in South Africa regarding logistics and transportation and we have arranged multiple donations of anaesthetics and other medications, the first of which have arrived in Ukraine from the United Kingdom. This shipment will ensure that 40 000 life-saving surgical interventions can take place to assist critically injured and maimed patients. A second shipment, which is being dispatched from Germany and is expected to arrive in Ukraine imminently, will provide medical supplies for an additional 22 000 surgeries. The total value of these donations is approximately R11 million (approximately US$740 000). The provision of further shipments of medical supplies is currently being assessed. South Africa has also been impacted by the unfolding crisis. To this end Aspen has arranged for the safe repatriation of 25 South African students who were studying at universities in Ukraine and who were forced to flee the conflict to avoid becoming casualties of war themselves. Ten highly traumatised and emotional students were welcomed home by their families at OR Tambo International Airport on 10 March 2022 and the last two students are expected to arrive in the country within the week. Ms Liubov Abravitova, Ukraine’s Ambassador to South Africa said, “The Russian/Ukrainian conflict has resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the bombing of critical infrastructure, which has left many citizens critically injured and without medicines, water and electricity. We are grateful for Aspen’s support and life-saving medicines which brings hope to the people of Ukraine. Many Ukrainian healthcare workers are fighting the war at the frontline, working under desperate circumstances to keep the healthcare system going and this donation of critical and life-saving medicines will assist these healthcare workers to save the lives of both injured civilians and those in the armed services.”

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Aspen is in a closed period from 1st January 2026 until the publication of the interim results on the JSE SENS platform on the 3rd March 2026. The live presentation will take place in Cape Town at 08h30 on 2 March 2023.

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Aspen is in a closed period from 1st January 2026 until the publication of the interim results on the JSE SENS platform on the 3rd March 2026.

The live presentation will take place in Cape Town at 08h30 on 2 March 2023.