The UK’s vaccine manufacturing capabilities will be further
boosted today thanks to a new deal to considerably increase
capacity in a crucial part of the manufacturing process for
Covid-19 vaccines, advancing efforts to ensure a successful
vaccine is widely available to the public.
The government has entered into an 18-month agreement with global
pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Wockhardt to carry out
the crucial ‘fill and finish’ stage of the manufacturing process,
which involves dispensing the manufactured vaccine substance into
vials ready for it to be distributed.
This is an essential part of the vaccines supply chain and as
part of this deal, Wockhardt will provide these services for the
UK government and producers of vaccines being developed around
the world in large quantities.
The fill and finish line is expected to start in September 2020.
It will take place at CP Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of
Wockhardt, based in Wrexham, North Wales, which has the capacity
to finish millions of coronavirus vaccine doses.
Business Secretary said:
“Ensuring the UK has the capability to research, develop and
manufacture a safe and effective vaccine is critical in our fight
against coronavirus.
“Today we have secured additional capacity to manufacture
millions of doses of multiple Covid-19 candidates, guaranteeing
the supply of vaccines we need to protect people across the UK
rapidly and in large numbers.”
Kate Bingham, Chair of the Vaccines Taskforce said:
“Never before have we needed to find and manufacture a vaccine at
this speed and scale in order to protect the UK population.
“We have made significant progress in securing a diverse
portfolio of potential vaccines and treatments for Covid-19,
adding a fourth vaccine candidate from GSK and Sanofi earlier
this week. However, discovering a successful vaccine is only part
of the solution, we also need to be able to manufacture it.
“Fill and finish is a critical step in the process to get the
vaccine in a form to be given to patients. The agreement with
Wockhardt will boost our capability to ensure that from the
moment a successful vaccine is identified we will be able to
produce the quantities of vaccine required, as quickly as
possible, for the people who need it.”
Founder Chairman of Wockhardt Dr Habil Khorakiwala said:
“The pandemic of COVID-19 is a challenge for all and needs a
concerted effort to overcome. We are proud to be collaborating
with the UK Government to make vaccines available and the
arrangement brings in a huge sense of purpose and pride, it
upholds our ongoing commitment to fight against such a pandemic
of global human importance. As a global organisation, we are
focussed and committed to assist in mitigating the worldwide
impact of COVID-19.”
Secretary of State for Wales said:
“This agreement demonstrates the importance of Welsh
manufacturers in the UK’s fight against coronavirus, highlighting
once again the strengths of working together across the UK to
combat the pandemic.
“Securing this manufacturing capacity means that safe and
effective vaccines, produced in Wales, will potentially be
distributed rapidly to people across the UK.”
The agreement with Wockhardt complements the new Vaccines
Manufacturing and Innovation Centre, which is currently under
construction in Oxfordshire as a result of £93 million government
investment. The UK’s vaccine manufacturing efforts are further
supported by an additional £100 million for a state-of-the-art
Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult Manufacturing Innovation Centre in
Braintree, Essex, to accelerate the mass production of a
successful Covid-19 vaccine in the UK.
While the Vaccines Manufacturing and Innovation Centre is under
construction, the Government has invested an additional £38
million to establish a rapid deployment facility opening later
this summer.
The news follows the government securing early access to millions
of vaccine doses from AstraZeneca for the University of Oxford
vaccine, BioNTech/Pfizer alliance, Valneva and GSK/Sanofi as part
of its strategy to build a strong portfolio of promising new
vaccines to protect the UK from Covid-19.
ENDS
About Wockhardt:
Wockhardt is a global pharmaceutical and biotech organisation
that brings affordable, high quality medicines to market. In the
UK, Wockhardt is one of the largest suppliers into the NHS for
over 20 years, has had a presence in Wrexham for over two decades
and employs over 400 people at its 612,000 square feet high-tech
manufacturing facility.
