BioNTech to set up mRNA manufacturing hubs in Australia
BioNTech, co-developers of one of the first mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, have signed an agreement to create manufacturing hubs in and around the Australian Victoria state in a bid to increase the country’s mRNA manufacturing abilities.
Germany biotechnology company BioNTech SE (Mainz, Germany), developers of the widely utilised COVID-19 mRNA vaccine with Pfizer, have confirmed their partnership with Australia’s Victoria state to set up mRNA research and manufacturing centres in the area.
The partnership will also see the creation of a centre that will run clinical research on experimental mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, with the intention of attracting scientific experts from around the world. It was also agreed that an mRNA manufacturing facility will be set up in Melbourne.
The announcement comes on the heels of Australia’s initial immunisation program, which was marred by import delays leading to political backlash. The government has since been pressured to invest in domestic mRNA vaccine manufacturing facilities to ease supply chain challenges. Victorian Minister for Innovation, Medical Research, and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford stated: “The state-of-the-art facility is the missing link in our mRNA ecosystem, and it means Victorians can be the first in the world to potentially receive new vaccines and treatments for oncology and infectious diseases.”
Victoria had previously signed a deal with Moderna (Cambridge, USA) for the construction of an mRNA manufacturing facility at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia), making the BioNTech deal the second to be signed for Australia in a bid to increase the country’s domestic mRNA manufacturing capabilities.
BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin commented that science was only effective when applied “outside of the laboratories and reaches people worldwide... This partnership is a major step forward to enable access to mRNA technology and promote collaborations in the Asia–Pacific region.”
Source: German COVID vaccine developer BioNTech signs research deal with Australia | Reuters
Related News
-
News Pharmapack Awards 2024 Patient-Centric Design Award Winner – Dr Ferrer BioPharma
The 2024 Pharmapack Awards celebrated the best in innovation and design for the pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery industry on January 24, 2024. -
News Women in Pharma: Minding the Gap at Pharmapack 2024
2024 marks the first year Pharmapack will host a Diversity track dedicated to bridging the gap within the pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery sector. The track includes a panel discussion on 'Enabling Diversity in the Workplace,' focused... -
News Pharmapack Awards 2024 - Celebrating Packaging and Drug Delivery Innovation
The 2024 Pharmapack Innovation Awards ceremony celebrated the best in pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery innovation at all levels. The awards were held on January 24, 2024 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. -
News 2024 Pharma Industry Trends Outlook: Collaboration, Market Maturity, and Digital Futures
The annual CPHI Online 2024 Pharma Trends Outlook, in partnership with Arvato Systems, identifies 12 key industry trends shaping the life sciences industry in the coming year. -
News New Novo Nordisk AI hub for drug discovery to open in London, UK
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk will be opening an AI-based research facility in the heart of London to advance drug discovery operations. -
News BioNTech to begin mRNA vaccine manufacturing in Rwanda by 2025
German biotechnology company BioNTech has stated their intentions to begin production at their mRNA vaccine factory in Rwanda by 2025, which will mark the first foreign mRNA vaccine manufacturing site on the continent of Africa. -
News Women in Pharma: Looking back on 2023 and moving forward to 2024
In this monthly series, we interview women from across the pharmaceutical industry and supply chain to discuss the importance of gender diversity in healthcare, the workplace, and beyond. -
News CPHI Barcelona 2023: Partnering for Success – Managing Outsourcing Relationships to Optimise Manufacturing Operations
During CPHI Barcelona 2023, insightful content sessions offered attendees the chance to explore trending topics with expert speakers and panellists. Here, we summarise what the pharma industry and supply chain are talking about the most.
Position your company at the heart of the global Pharma industry with a CPHI Online membership
-
Your products and solutions visible to thousands of visitors within the largest Pharma marketplace
-
Generate high-quality, engaged leads for your business, all year round
-
Promote your business as the industry’s thought-leader by hosting your reports, brochures and videos within your profile
-
Your company’s profile boosted at all participating CPHI events
-
An easy-to-use platform with a detailed dashboard showing your leads and performance