Moderna Tries To Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Chain To Produce 3B Doses Annually

Moderna Inc MRNA plans to produce up to 3 billion doses in 2022, doubling capacity at contract sites in Switzerland and Spain run by Lonza Group LZAGF and Rovi, respectively, and increasing drug substance manufacturing by 50% at its U.S. facilities.
The expansions will also allow Moderna to now produce between 800 million and 1 billion doses in 2021, the company said.
The actual number of doses will depend on the manufacturing split between 100-microgram vaccine doses and potentially lower-dose boosters and pediatric vaccines, the company said.
The financial terms of the expansion were not disclosed, but Moderna said it is funding the move out of pocket.
The increases announced today are in addition to the recently announced increases in formulation, fill and finish in the U.S. with Catalent Inc CTLT and Sanofi S.A. SNY.
Sanofi entered an agreement earlier this week to help manufacture 200 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine at its Ridgefield, NJ site. That will begin in September.
CDMO Catalent announced that it was upping the production capacity of the vaccine in its Bloomington, IN biologics facility through its new high-speed vial filling line. Those doses are expected to be ready in May.
Additionally, citing new data, Moderna says the COVID-19 vaccine can remain stable at temperatures found in refrigerators for three months.
Currently, the mRNA vaccine is approved to be stored in the refrigerator between 2-8°C for up to 30 days and up to seven months in the freezer at -20°C.
Price Action: MRNA shares are up 1.85% at $181.98 in the premarket trading on the last check Thursday.

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