Moderna to transform Massachusetts site into industrial technology centre

The expansion will support a 50% increase in production of biotech's COVID-19 vaccine at its manufacturing site

Specifically, the company will increase production and lab space from approximately 300,000 sq. ft to approximately 650,000 sq. ft through renovating existing space and acquiring a 240,000 sq. foot building located on the same campus for expansion of its commercial and clinical activities.

According to Moderna CEO, Stéphane Bancel, the expansion of the manufacturing facility will enable the company to continue to optimize its mRNA medicines and vaccines and "explore new pharmaceutical delivery forms such as prefilled syringes and lyophilized products."

This expansion also includes an increase in Moderna’s technical development capacity and preclinical production capability with the goal of producing thousands of preclinical samples per month for research and development. The expanded facility will also help facilitate the company’s increased focus and investment in technical capabilities such as expansion of shelf-life stability.

The investment will support a 50% increase in production of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine at its manufacturing site, which is expected to ramp up in late 2021 and early 2022.

Last week, the company announced an investment at its owned and partnered manufacturing facilities that it expects will increase 2022 global capacity to up to 3 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, depending upon the mix between the authorized Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine at the 100 μg dose level and potentially lower doses of the company’s variant booster candidates and pediatric vaccines, if authorized.

The company also raised its 2021 manufacturing supply forecast to between 800 million to 1 billion doses.