Federal agencies have partnered with Ology Bioservices to expand the capacity for filling and finishing vials for COVID-19 vaccines and drugs in the United States.
The joint effort includes the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the Department of Defense’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) on the federal side. Through their new contract awarded to Ology, the federal government will have a perpetual reservation for fill/finish capacity production on commercial filling lines for use by federal partners developing COVID-19 vaccines or therapeutic treatment.
This is a considerable rework of traditional processes, which tend to see vaccine product developers contract directly with fill-finish facilities for any fill finish services needed. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen supply become a consistent, major issue for the U.S. in various areas. Now, the government has decided to reserve capacity to guarantee BARDA’s sponsored product developers and manufacturers have access and capability.