Novartis invests $600M for first cell-based flu vaccine in the US

With a recent USD 220 million grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Novartis will be investing close to a total of USD 600 million to build the first US plant for cell-cultured flu vaccines. The manufacturing plant is in Holly Springs, North Carolina, with construction expected to begin in 2007. With it, the company plans to produce as many as 50 million doses of seasonal trivalent flu vaccines for use in the U.S.

Also recently, Novartis submitted the first European Union cell culture-derived influenza vaccine, also commonly referred to as “flu cell culture influenza vaccines” after the company completed Phase III clinical studies.

“We are taking the lead in moving flu cell culture vaccine manufacturing closer to a commercial reality now that the site for a US manufacturing plant has been chosen and the first EU submission for a flu cell culture vaccine have been completed,” said Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis. “Novartis is pioneering this innovative vaccine technology to bring reliability and flexibility of the manufacturing process to a next level and be able to meet the growing need for seasonal influenza vaccines and to quickly respond to a potential pandemic influenza threat once the factory has been completed.”

This move comes as companies rush to develop faster techniques for making flu vaccine in light of a pandemic flu threat.

[Source: DrugNewsWire]

Tags: cell-based flu vaccine, flu vaccines, Health and Human Services, pandemic flu, research