Taipei, April 23 (CNA) Taiwan vaccine maker Adimmune Corp. could face a fine of up to NT$2 million (US$61,556) if it is found to have violated lab safety regulations, Health Minister Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) said Wednesday, after a news report alleged a rat-related sanitation breach at one of its facilities last year.
In a report published early Wednesday, Mirror Media said it had learned from a whistleblower at Adimmune that 120 lab rats had been left untended for three days in 12 cages by a female vaccine developer as Typhoon Gaemi hit Taiwan in late July of 2024.
When employees returned to work after the typhoon holiday, the lab was filled with a pungent smell from the accumulated mouse dander, urine and feces, the report said.
Not only did the lab managers fail to report the incident to their superiors, but they neglected to even disinfect the lab or discipline the employee responsible, possibly risking wider contamination, the report said.
In response to the report, the Taichung-based Adimmune said in a statement that the facility where the incident occurred was a vaccine research lab, and was not in the same location as its production lines or quality control labs.
Following the typhoon holiday, all animals at the lab were transported to a specialized company facility in Nantou County, and none of them were used in any subsequent vaccine-related experiments or testing, the company said.
Asked to comment on the allegations during a Legislative meeting Wednesday, Health Minister Chiu said the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) had sent officials to inspect the lab and find out what exactly had happened.
If the company is found to have violated Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), it could face a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$2 million under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, Chiu said.
Chiu also downplayed the risk of vaccine contamination, noting that finished vaccines undergo an 11-step inspection process by the TFDA before they are sealed and made available to the public.
Adimmune is one of five companies authorized to manufacture or distribute flu vaccines in Taiwan, along with TTY Biopharm, Medigen Vaccine Biological Corp. and the Taiwan branches of Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
