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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