Emergent bags $628 million "landmark" CDMO deal to produce COVID-19 vaccine candidates

The company will provide CDMO capabilities, capacities, and expertise to support the US government’s Warp Speed Program to pave the way for innovators to advance COVID-19 programs.

Under the task order, Emergent will use its molecule-to-market CDMO offering, committing manufacturing capacity, valued at approximately $542.7 million, for the production of COVID-19 vaccine candidates through 2021.

The task order expands the company's 2012 public-private partnership with BARDA, which established Emergent’s Baltimore Bayview facility as a Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) for pandemic preparedness, to include investments in the CDMO's Baltimore Camden and Rockville facilities. This will create a US-based manufacturing supply chain for pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovators of COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

The task order also includes an investment of approximately $85.5 million for the rapid expansion of Emergent’s viral and non-viral CDMO drug product fill/finish capacity at the Baltimore Camden and Rockville facilities.

Emergent’s Baltimore Bayview CIADM facility was designed for the rapid manufacturing of large quantities of vaccines and treatments during public health emergencies. It has the capacity to produce tens to hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine annually.

Activities under this task order are in addition to the company’s previously announced collaborations for COVID-19 vaccine candidates with the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, and Vaxart that are currently underway.