Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, has commenced construction of its Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) in Harwell, Oxfordshire. The MITC will encompass research, development and a manufacturing facility, which aims to provide the UK public with access to mRNA vaccines for a wide range of respiratory diseases, pending independent regulatory assessment and licensure.
The Moderna investment will create hundreds of jobs during construction and operation. The MITC will include a clinical biomarker laboratory that will be constructed by the offsite construction and engineering specialist Merit. The Drug Substance and Manufacturing facility will be fitted out by Birmingham-based engineering firm IPS and is expected to become operational in 2025.
Darius Hughes, UK General Manager at Moderna, said: "We are delighted to celebrate this important milestone today alongside our partners from the UK Government and Harwell. We look forward to continuing our collaboration throughout construction of the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre, and beyond, to bring innovative vaccines to the UK public to help protect against emerging respiratory health threats."
A groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Health Minister Maria Caulfield, CEO of the UK Health Security Agency Dame Jenny Harries, local community leaders and representatives from the UK's health resilience and life sciences community.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield, said: "Thanks to this partnership between the government and Moderna, NHS patients across the country will have access to cutting edge mRNA vaccines to fight future Covid variants and other respiratory viruses, so it's great to see construction starting on this new centre."
Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said: "This facility will significantly strengthen the UK's vaccine development and research capabilities, helping shore up our defences against future health threats, including pandemics. Once built, it will be capable of producing millions of vaccines against respiratory diseases and other illnesses, placing the UK at the global forefront of health science and innovation.
Source: www.merit.co.uk
