Moderna and Catalent expand COVID vaccine manufacturing agreement

The extended collaboration comes after reaching the initial milestone of producing 100 million doses

Through the expanded agreement, Catalent will now dedicate to Moderna’s use a third high-speed filling line at its Bloomington biologics facility in Indiana through June 2023, which can be used to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine and potentially additional investigational programs in Moderna’s large clinical pipeline.

Catalent will also provide inspection, labeling, cartoning, and final packaging for these programs.

Last June, Catalent agreed to provide aseptic vial filling and packaging from Bloomington, including additional staffing required for 24x7 manufacturing to support production of an initial 100 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine.

The companies said the 100 million doses milestone was reached on March 29.

In September 2020, Catalent invested $50 million in the new high-speed filling line at Bloomington. By the end of 2021, the site will have high-speed filling capacity across three vial lines, two syringe lines, and a flexible line capable of filling vials, syringes, or cartridges.

"Catalent’s partnership with Moderna began in 2016, when we had only glimpsed the potential applications of mRNA and could not have guessed how pivotal mRNA would become in the fight against COVID-19," said Alessandro Maselli, Catalent’s President and Chief Operating Officer.