American vaccine giant Moderna has now opened its new vaccine manufacturing lab at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire, UK. The Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) received its license from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) last month and can now produce vaccines and process clinical trial samples.
Moderna’s UK General Manager Darius Hughes said that: “This significant achievement marks a major step forward in our mission to establish end-to-end mRNA manufacturing capabilities in the UK, and we are proud to have reached it in less than two years since breaking ground on the site.”
The Harwell site forms part of the company’s onshore supply chain for their mRNA vaccines in the UK. Hughes continued: “This important step brings the company closer to ensuring a reliable, onshore supply of mRNA vaccines within the UK.”
The MITC was established as part of a ten-year strategic partnership from the UK Government and Moderna, announced back in December 2022. The collaboration aims to bring vaccine production onshore to boost pandemic preparedness as well as increase the country’s standing as a leader in clinical research and scientific innovation.
A new hub for research and technology within the Oxford-Cambridge ‘growth corridor’ will come as welcome news to the UK Treasury, who have their sights set on boosting economic expansion through the life sciences sector.
Hugues told the BBC: "We are working very closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and with other government agencies to make sure we are learning from the previous pandemic, and applying those learnings, and getting ourselves a little bit better prepared should another pandemic be declared."