Moderna to bring mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility to Canada

Moderna have announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Canada to build a state-of-the-art messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine manufacturing facility in Canada, including access to Moderna’s mRNA development engine.

The aim of the collaboration is to support Canada with direct access to rapid pandemic response capabilities and to provide access to Moderna’s vaccines in development for respiratory viruses. The MoU was announced on 10 August 2021 by François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, and Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s Chief Executive Officer in Montreal, Canada.

“I would like to thank the Government of Canada for the partnership they have built with us and for their faith in our data, science and early confidence in our mRNA platform in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. We recently announced data from the final analysis of the Phase III COVE study demonstrating that vaccination with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine showed 93 percent efficacy, with this efficacy remaining durable six months after administration of the second dose,”  Bancel stated. “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.”

Moderna said they expect to invest in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility with the collaboration of the Canadian government. They hope to provide Canadians with access to a domestically manufactured portfolio of mRNA vaccines against respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and potential other vaccines, pending licensure. The facility is also intended to be activated on an urgent basis to support Canada with direct access to rapid pandemic response capabilities. The company is in discussion with other governments about potential collaborations built on a similar model.

“We are excited to expand our presence and continue our long-term collaboration with Canada,” said Patricia Gauthier, Moderna’s Canadian General Manager. “With our industry-leading mRNA technology platform and rapid drug development capabilities, we look forward to being an active participant in Canada’s robust life sciences ecosystem.”