CANADA – Cambridge-based sterile injectable contract-development and manufacturing organization, Novocol Pharma has signed an agreement to provide the fill-finish and packaging support for Moderna’s mRNA respiratory vaccines.
As part of this long-term agreement, Novocol Pharma will carry out the aseptic fill-finish, labeling and packaging of Moderna’s mRNA respiratory vaccines at Novocol’s Ontario-based facility.
The vaccines will be manufactured at Moderna’s mRNA facility in Laval, Quebec, Canada, which is expected to start operating by the end of 2024.
The fill-finish sterile step involves the transference of vaccine drug products into vials. It is also at the final stage of the vaccines’ production process, which is followed by the packaging of the product for use by consumers.
Moderna chief technical operations and quality officer Jerh Collins said: “Novocol Pharma exemplifies best-in-class experience, capabilities, manufacturing systems, and controls required to prepare our mRNA vaccines and scale-up production as needed to address novel or emerging viruses.”
To assist with the creation of highly sophisticated manufacturing capabilities necessary to fill and finish the mRNA vaccines, the Government of Ontario, through the Ontario Together Fund, has provided a grant to Moderna.
Moderna’s partnership with Novocol Pharma also supports the Government of Canada’s strategic investments under Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy to provide onshore respiratory vaccine manufacturing capabilities and support national pandemic readiness for all Canadians.
The agreement also expands Moderna’s footprint and investment in Ontario to help make mRNA vaccines available for all Canadians and to support high-skilled jobs in this growing sector.
Together with the new facility in Laval and partnerships with local universities and biotech start-ups, Moderna is helping to drive Canada’s position as an mRNA center of excellence.
The deal will further help in boosting domestic end-to-end vaccine production to ensure that the country is capable of providing rapid responses to counter any future pandemic scenarios.
Novocol Pharma’s president and Septodont COO Atif Zia added: “Together, we will strengthen Canada’s domestic supply chain for the production of vaccines and pandemic preparedness.
“This achievement has been made possible through collaboration between the private and the public sector, at both provincial and federal levels.”
Moderna’s mRNA pipeline includes 47 programs, including vaccines against respiratory viruses, vaccines against latent viruses, and vaccines against threats to global public health.
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