Facility to enable access to domestically manufactured mRNA respiratory vaccines, pending regulatory assessment and licensure
The ten-year strategic partnership is expected to provide the UK public with response capabilities to ensure future preparedness in light of the COVID-19 pandemic
Moderna is expanding its presence in the UK through investments in R&D activities and capabilities
CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESSWIRE / December 21, 2022 /Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced the finalization of a strategic partnership with the UK government to establish a state-of-the-art mRNA research, development, and manufacturing facility in the UK. This milestone follows the agreement in principle between Moderna and the UK government, announced in June 2022.
"Our new state-of-the-art facility will bring mRNA manufacturing to UK shores, providing the UK public with access to pandemic response capabilities through Moderna COVID-19 vaccines and future respiratory virus vaccine candidates," said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. "We look forward to being part of the UK's world-renowned science and innovation community, contributing to the UK health ecosystem through significant investments in R&D activities and expanding our clinical trial footprint across the country."
Once operational, the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) is intended to provide access to a domestically manufactured portfolio of future mRNA vaccines against respiratory viruses, pending regulatory assessment and licensure. In addition, the facility is intended to provide the UK with direct access to pandemic response capabilities, which will support the UK in its global efforts as part of its "100 Days Mission" to reduce the impact of future pandemics. As part of the ten-year partnership, Moderna will also support the UK's mRNA health and science ecosystem.
"We are excited to continue our collaboration with the UK government and UK Health Security Agency to establish the UK as a world-leading mRNA center of excellence," said Darius Hughes, Moderna's General Manager for the UK. "When constructed, our facility will harness mRNA science with the aim of developing and manufacturing vaccines that have the potential to address future threats posed by respiratory viruses."
Construction is expected to commence in early 2023, with the facility expected to become operational by 2025, subject to planning and regulatory approvals.
About Moderna
In over 10 years since its inception, Moderna has transformed from a research-stage company advancing programs in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA), to an enterprise with a diverse clinical portfolio of vaccines and therapeutics across seven modalities, a broad intellectual property portfolio in areas including mRNA and lipid nanoparticle formulation, and an integrated manufacturing plant that allows for rapid clinical and commercial production at scale. Moderna maintains alliances with a broad range of domestic and overseas government and commercial collaborators, which has allowed for the pursuit of both groundbreaking science and rapid scaling of manufacturing. Most recently, Moderna's capabilities have come together to allow the authorized use and approval of one of the earliest and most effective vaccines against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moderna's mRNA platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, and has allowed the development of therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases, cardiovascular diseases and auto-immune diseases. Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past eight years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including regarding: Moderna's agreement with the UK government to develop an mRNA manufacturing facility in the UK, expected timing for commencing construction of the facility, and when the facility is expected to be operational; the types of medicines to be manufactured at the facility; and the Company's support of the UK's mRNA research, development and industry ecosystem. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond Moderna's control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include those other risks and uncertainties described under the heading "Risk Factors" in Moderna's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022, each filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and in subsequent filings made by Moderna with the SEC, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Except as required by law, Moderna disclaims any intention or responsibility for updating or revising any forward-looking statements contained in this press release in the event of new information, future developments or otherwise. These forward-looking statements are based on Moderna's current expectations and speak only as of the date hereof.
