Moderna opens UK’s first mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility

Moderna's Stéphane Bancel (left) and Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting (right) opening the new mRNA facility

Moderna has opened a new UK manufacturing facility in Harwell, Oxfordshire that is the country’s first for mRNA vaccines.

The unveiling comes against a backdrop of uncertainty for life science investment in the country, with Merck & Co, Lilly and AstraZeneca halting or pausing major projects amid an ongoing drug pricing row.

The Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) will focus on manufacturing respiratory vaccines for diseases such as COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus. Once fully up and running it will have a regular annual capacity of 100 million doses, with the ability to scale that up to 250 million in the event of a pandemic.

The site will also host research into the technology’s applications against cancer, rare diseases and immune disorders, as well as housing laboratories for analysing samples from Moderna’s global clinical trials.

Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, said: “Our strategic partnership with the UK has already delivered more than 20 clinical trials across 110 sites nationwide, making Moderna the largest commercial sponsor of trials in the country.

“Together, we successfully delivered this vision from concept to operational readiness in under two years. This latest milestone underscores the UK’s commitment to improving health security, both against global health emergencies and ongoing seasonal respiratory threats.”

Although Modern, as a vaccine manufacturer, is insulated from the failure by the government and pharma sector to agree a new VPAG pricing deal, having the new facility open for production will provide some welcome respite for the UK Government.

Opening the MITC, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Wes Streeting was keen to talk up life sciences as “a great British success story”, adding that the facility was “the next pivotal moment in boosting our nation’s health, innovation and economy”.

The MITC is a key element of Moderna’s ten-year partnership with the UK Government, a relationship that’s managed by the UK Health Security Agency and designed to strengthen the nation’s health resilience and economic growth.

For Moderna, the new facility forms part of its global network of advanced manufacturing hubs, alongside similar sites in Australia and Canada, that aim to strengthen pandemic readiness by maximising geographic coverage and minimising response times.