World news – GB – Lonza aims to make ingredients for 400 million doses of our COVID vaccine annually

ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss pharmaceutical company LONN. S plants in the United States and Switzerland are slated to manufacture ingredients for 400 million doses of MRNA. O> Vaccine for COVID-19 annually, Lonza said Monday.

Lonza, which began in September announced « mass production » in the US and expects to start Swiss production this year, after Moderna said its vaccine candidate showed 94.. 5% potency based on temporary data.

Moderna, whose vaccine requires two doses per person, said it is still on track to produce between 500 million and 1 billion doses per year by 2021, while planning. s. About 20 million doses this year.

Basel-based Lonza is building four product lines – one in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and three in Visp in the depths of the Swiss Alps – for $ 60-70 million per line, with each line capable of producing 100 million doses. Moderna also has its own production capacity.

Lonza previously said it could increase production capacity for Moderna’s vaccine, including at a site in Singapore or Switzerland, although a company spokesperson said on Monday that the company was initially focusing on completing the four production lines now in operation..

« With positive interim results from Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccine, we are witnessing a big step forward in the evolution of vaccine technology, with the potential to change the way we manage infection and disease in the future. .

Moderna, Lonza Group AG, Vaccine, Berks County