CPI to develop‘ library’ of mRNA vaccines’ against COVID-19 variants
Liverpool City Region’ s Seqirus strengthens UK’ s response to influenza and boosts local job growth
covid-19 VACCINE
CPI to develop‘ library’ of mRNA vaccines’ against COVID-19 variants
CPI, a founding member of the UK High Value Manufacturing Catapult headquartered in the North East of England, has been awarded a £ 5 million investment to support the development of an mRNA ‘ vaccine library’ as part of the Government’ s vaccine support package.
CPI has been working with the UK Vaccine Taskforce( VTF) since March 2020, applying its world-leading expertise in the development of mRNA vaccines to support the fight against coronavirus. It is currently the only company based in the UK capable of batch developing mRNA vaccines ready for use in clinical trials and manufacture. When new variants of COVID-19 are identified, their DNA can be used to develop mRNA vaccines in a matter of days.
The vaccines will be banked in a ‘ vaccine library’, ready for future manufacture and scale-up when needed, with the potential to deliver up to one million doses in a week for use in clinical trials.
CEO Frank Millar said: “ We’ re delighted to be a key part of the UK’ s ongoing fight against coronavirus, which has had such a devastating impact over the past year. It’ s essential that we prepare for a future living with the threat of COVID-19 and the library of vaccine candidates we are building here in Darlington will help future-proof against further outbreaks caused by new strains of the disease. It will mean that as soon as a new strain of COVID-19 is identified, the relevant vaccine can be selected and rapidly manufactured for use in clinical trials, in a very similar way that we see flu vaccines developed each year.”
Liverpool City Region’ s Seqirus strengthens UK’ s response to influenza and boosts local job growth
Seqirus, a global influenza vaccine company, has strengthened the UK’ s vaccine response to influenza with its high-speed syringe filling and packing facility in Liverpool. The facility is the largest vaccine manufacturing site of its kind in the UK, producing over 50 million doses of seasonal influenza vaccine each year, with the ability to increase production to 200 million doses.
The site now has a high-speed fill-and-finish facility, which enables start-tofinish onshore manufacturing, where previously the vaccine would be sent abroad to be put into syringes and packed. This enables Seqirus to complete the entire start-to-end vaccine manufacturing process at the Liverpool site and shortens the supply lead time by more than one to two weeks per batch. The new filling line will also allow Seqirus to produce finished doses of influenza vaccine more quickly in the event of an influenza pandemic.
With its high manufacturing and supply capabilities, the facility will also drive the local economy by creating more jobs.
Nigel Hilton, Head of Manufacturing and Site Head at Liverpool, said:“ Bringing the fill-and-finish capability in house means we can simplify the supply chain, allowing us to shorten lead times to supply vaccines to the UK and other governments who need them.
“ The £ 50m investment also benefits the local Liverpool economy with the introduction of more than 120 high value local jobs at the site, with even more jobs opening up as we expand our supply capability further.”
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