Moderna, Inc. has announced updates demonstrating substantial R&D investment and progress in the UK, two years since signing its strategic partnership with the UK government, at a milestone event at the Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire.
The milestone event brought together stakeholders from across the UK life sciences ecosystem to mark the completion of the construction of the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) – the company’s state-of-the-art research, development and manufacturing facility.
Subject to licensure, the first product manufactured at scale is expected to be a COVID-19 vaccine to support the NHS vaccination programme. In the event of a pandemic, the site will have the capacity to produce a minimum of 250 million vaccine doses per year.
The MITC also features state-of-the-art labs and office spaces designed to support high-priority pre-clinical and clinical-stage assays. The biomarker, bioanalytical, and molecular assay laboratories will process samples from Moderna’s clinical trials to assess the safety and effectiveness of potential therapeutics and vaccines.
Under the company’s ten-year strategic partnership with the UK government – managed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on behalf of the government – Moderna is also investing significantly in R&D to unlock the greatest health benefit.
The milestone event coincided with the first meeting of the new administration’s Joint Oversight Committee (JOC), co-chaired by Minister Gould, Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office, and Moderna President, Stephen Hoge. The committee discussed the progress of the partnership and toured the facility, which is expected to be fully operational later this year.
Stephen Hoge, M.D. President of Moderna said: “At Moderna, we are immensely proud of our new manufacturing facility and clinical laboratories in Oxfordshire and the significant and ongoing investment into R&D across the UK. By investing heavily across clinical trials and research, we aim to drive breakthroughs that could improve patient outcomes, support the UK healthcare ecosystem and ultimately shape the future of medicine.”
Darius Hughes, General Manager of Moderna UK said: “We have made remarkable progress since initiating our unique strategic partnership with the UK government two years ago. Later this year, this state-of-the-art facility will be ready to deliver British-made COVID-19 vaccines, ensuring a robust supply for the UK public.
“Through our partnership, Moderna is committed to becoming an integral part of the UK’s world-leading life sciences ecosystem, working in partnership with the government, academia, and the NHS to explore the full potential of our mRNA platform and co-develop solutions to help transform UK healthcare.”
