Novartis has announced that the US Department of Health and Human Services, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (HHS, BARDA) has awarded Novartis Vaccines a contract for up to $486m over eight years. The contract supports the design, construction, validation, and licensing of US cell-based influenza vaccine manufacturing facilities in Holly Springs, North Carolina. The facility will provide a pre-pandemic supply of influenza vaccine and the capacity to manufacture 150 million doses of pandemic vaccine within six months of declaration of an influenza pandemic.
Under the contract, Novartis is responsible for pre-construction document development, land use and zoning, construction, commissioning, validation and licensing of the facilities.
The contract also requires Novartis to provide two commercial-scale annual lots of pre-pandemic vaccine for a minimum of three years. In addition, HHS has the right to exercise options to purchase additional influenza vaccine over 17 years.
Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, said: This HHS contract builds on the strategic investment made by Novartis in vaccines innovation, and reinforces the significant financial and technology investments we have already committed to Holly Springs. We currently anticipate that by 2012 the site will provide jobs for more than 300 highly skilled people with the capability to produce cell-based seasonal flu vaccine, pre-pandemic vaccine and 150 million doses of pandemic vaccine within six months of the declaration of an influenza pandemic.