Moderna, Inc., biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, and Recipharm, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced that they have reached an agreement to support formulation and fill-finish a part of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine supply outside of the U.S. The activity will be performed in Recipharm’s drug product manufacturing facility located in France.
Subject to regulatory approval of the vaccine in relevant countries outside of the U.S., it is anticipated that supply will commence in early 2021.
“We are making important progress in the development of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and we are pleased to be entering into this collaboration with Recipharm,” said Nicolas Chornet, Senior Vice President, International Manufacturing of Moderna. “We look forward to their support in the delivery of our vaccine to market.”
“This is a material and strategically important agreement for us, and we are delighted to be working with Moderna on such a vital project to support the long-term fight against COVID-19,” said Thomas Eldered, CEO of Recipharm. “Our preparations are already well underway with the hiring of new staff and investment in the facility to enable us to meet the challenging timelines.”
About Recipharm
Recipharm is a leading Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) in the pharmaceutical industry employing almost 9,000 employees. Recipharm offers manufacturing services of pharmaceuticals in various dosage forms, production of clinical trial material and APIs, pharmaceutical product development and development and manufacturing of medical devices. Recipharm manufactures several hundred different products to customers ranging from big pharma to smaller research and development companies. Recipharm’s annual turnover is approximately SEK 11 billion. The company operates development and manufacturing facilities in France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
About Moderna
Moderna is advancing messenger RNA (mRNA) science to create a new class of transformative medicines for patients. mRNA medicines are designed to direct the body’s cells to produce intracellular, membrane or secreted proteins that can have a therapeutic or preventive benefit and have the potential to address a broad spectrum of diseases. The company’s platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, providing Moderna the capability to pursue in parallel a robust pipeline of new development candidates. Moderna is developing therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, independently and with strategic collaborators.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Moderna currently has strategic alliances for development programs with AstraZeneca PLC and Merck & Co., Inc., as well as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
