Dermapharm expands COVID-19 vaccine production capacity at ex-Merck site

The company's additional production capacities are scheduled to go into operation in May 2021

Additional production capacities are now being established at Allergopharma GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of Dermapharm, at Reinbek, which was formerly Merck KGaA's European allergy business before the pharma firm divested it in March 2020.

Dermapharm has said it is already begun to recruit personnel and train employees at its main production site in Brehna near Leipzig in readiness to start vaccine production as soon as possible.The additional production capacities are scheduled to go into operation in May 2021.

According to Dr Hans-Georg Feldmeier, Chairman of the Management Board of Dermapharm Holding SE, the capacities in Reinbek will "significantly exceed" its production capacities in Brehna.

Dermapharm signed a cooperation and supply agreement with BioNTech SE last September, and expanded production and special storage capacities for the formulation, as well as the aseptic filling, packaging (fill & finish) and storage of the vaccine at its mibe GmbH Arzneimittelsite site in Brehna, Germany.

The vaccine has been produced in Brehna since the beginning of October 2020.

Dermapharm said it expects the BioNTech partnership to contribute a "high double-digit million € amount" to its consolidated sales in the full year 2021.