Moderna and Canada to collaborate on mRNA manufacturing
pharmafile | August 11, 2021 | News story | Manufacturing and Production, Research and Development |
Moderna will build a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine manufacturing facility in Canada, which will include access to Moderna’s mRNA development engine.
This collaboration will give Canada direct access to rapid pandemic response capabilities and to provide access to Moderna’s vaccines in development for respiratory viruses.
Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, said: “I would like to thank the Government of Canada for the partnership they have built with us and for their faith in our data, science, and early confidence in our mRNA platform in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We recently announced data from the final analysis of the Phase III COVE study demonstrating that vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine showed 93% efficacy, with this efficacy remaining durable six months after administration of the second dose.
“As a company, we are committed to global public health. While we are still responding to this pandemic, we also want to ensure we and society learn from it.
“As Moderna expands internationally, we are delighted to bring mRNA manufacturing to Canada. We believe that this innovative business model will have global impact and implications.”
Patricia Gauthier, Moderna’s Canadian General Manager, said: “We are excited to expand our presence and continue our long-term collaboration with Canada.
“With our industry-leading mRNA technology platform and rapid drug development capabilities, we look forward to being an active participant in Canada’s robust life sciences ecosystem.”
A recent study found that Moderna could offer up better protection against the now dominant Delta variant than the Pfizer vaccine.
Lilly Subbotin
