Moderna strengthens US mRNA manufacturing capabilities with over $140m investment

Moderna is investing more than $140 million to enable full end-to-end manufacturing for its mRNA medicines in the US.

By onshoring its drug product manufacturing to its existing Moderna Technology Center (MTC) in Norwood, Massachusetts, US, the firm will expand its manufacturing capabilities and strengthen both its commercial and clinical supply.

The move reflects the company’s commitment to building a robust, domestic manufacturing platform capable of supporting its mRNA vaccines and therapeutic pipeline. Moderna anticipates the investment will provide hundreds of highly skilled biomanufacturing jobs.

Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna said: “By onshoring drug product manufacturing to our campus in Norwood, Massachusetts, we have completed the full manufacturing loop under one roof in the US.”

It is a positive step for the sector after the US administration made sweeping cuts to mRNA research in August. Moderna as well as AstraZeneca were directly impacted, with their nucleic acid-based vaccine projects targeted for restructure.

Despite this setback in the US, in September Moderna affirmed its commitment to the field by inaugurating the first mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in the UK. The site will produce vaccines for diseases such as COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The company’s recent investment comes just over a week after Novartis announced a new US-based manufacturing facility, now its third radioligand site in the country. In October, AstraZeneca revealed two separate investments to expand its US manufacturing capacity—first for a new US API manufacturing facility in Virginia and then its Coppell facility in Texas.

Moderna anticipates that construction of the new drug product manufacturing capability for the Moderna Technology Center will be completed by the first half of 2027.