Moderna Therapeutics, founded by renowned businessman Noubar Afeyan, and Lonza Group AG plan to accelerate the production of a potential vaccine against coronavirus.
Moderna’s mRNA-1273 experimental vaccine is being tested in its early stages at the National Institutes of Health. The manufacturer plans to begin testing in the second stage in the second quarter.
In accordance with a 10-year agreement on cooperation, companies intend to produce up to a billion doses of vaccine per year: it is expected that the first batches of the vaccine will be manufactured in July.
The parties intend to create additional production kits at Lonza enterprises, which ultimately will allow the production of materials equivalent to up to 1 billion doses of mRNA-1273 per year for use worldwide, the companies said in a statement.
Earlier in April, Moderna received $ 483 million in funding from a US government agency to accelerate the development of the COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine.
