Article by Amanda Doyle
LONZA has entered a new agreement with Moderna to double production for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine at its site in Switzerland.
Lonza and Moderna first started working together in May 2020 with a ten-year strategic collaboration agreement for the large-scale manufacture of Moderna’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine and additional Moderna products in the future. They have now entered into a new agreement for Lonza to increase production of the key mRNA active ingredient used in the Moderna vaccine.
Three additional manufacturing lines will be installed at Lonza’s Visp site in Switzerland, which will double production at the site. The new lines are expected to be operational in early 2022.
Lonza Group AG: Lonza Announces Construction of a New Small Molecule Manufacturing Complex in Visp
Lonza will invest CHF 200 million to construct a new manufacturing complex
The 2000 m2 complex will include a customer dedicated manufacturing line for antibody-drug conjugate payload molecules
The investment is supported by a long-term collaboration and capital contribution with a major biopharmaceutical partner
The new manufacturing complex is designed to accommodate future small molecule expansions
Quote from Maurits Janssen, Strategic Business Development Small Molecules, Lonza: Supply is critical for our global partner in the oncology field. With this investment, we are enabling the treatment of many cancer patients. Oncology continues to be the leading indication in biopharma and a key driver for highly potent ingredients such as antibody-drug conjugates. In addition, small molecule oncology therapies require specific technologies. These challenges were specifically taken i