Moderna inks deal to build mRNA facility in Canada

Moderna has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian government to construct an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see Moderna build a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine plant, which aims to provide Canada with support to respond rapidly to current and future pandemics.

While it is not yet confirmed where the plant will be located in Canada, the firm is looking to replicate this business model in other countries.

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“As a company, we are committed to global public health. While we are still responding to this pandemic, we also want to ensure we and society learn from it. As Moderna expands internationally, we are delighted to bring mRNA manufacturing to Canada. We believe that this innovative business model will have global impact and implications,” said CEO of Moderna, Stéphane Bancel.

There is also potential for further collaboration between Moderna and the Canadian government as “the company is in discussion with other governments about potential collaborations built on a similar model,” it said in its statement.

The partnership intends to deliver Canadians with access to a domestically manufactured portfolio of mRNA vaccines against respiratory viruses. This includes COVID-19, seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other potential vaccines, once authorized.

Moderna already has an mRNA cell-free COVID-19 vaccine, 1273, approved under FDA emergency authorization and is developing an additional COVID-19 vaccine candidate coded 1283, which it believes will be easier to allocate and administrate due to it potentially being refrigerator stable.