Global vaccine creator Seqirus recently announced a major milestone in the fight against pandemic threats in the United States, consisting of a four-fold increase in seasonal influenza vaccine creation over two years.
“With a global influenza pandemic remaining a real and constant threat, Seqirus is committed to continuing to work with the US Government to realize the full potential of our cell-based manufacturing technology at the Holly Springs site,” Gordon Naylor, president of Seqirus, said. “We’re proud of the advances we’ve made in a relatively short period of time, and are confident in our technical ability to deliver significant additional influenza vaccine capacity that can be rapidly utilized during a pandemic emergency.”
The advance was a product of the company’s Holly Springs, North Carolina facility, which has accelerated development of cell-based manufacturing technology. Traditionally, such vaccines have been egg-based, but Seqirus has been seeking alternatives. Since taking over the Holly Springs facility in 2015, the company has jumped vaccine output from 5 million three-strain doses to around 20 million four-strain doses.
This latest announcement was made at the 10th anniversary of a partnership between Seqirus and the U.S. government, which was formed in response to the 20017 avian influenza virus and fears of its pandemic potential. For that anniversary, Naylor was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price on a visit to the Holly Springs facility.
“The Holly Springs facility plays a critical role in our national pandemic strategy and is a real asset in US biosecurity,” Price said. “We continue to appreciate and are reassured by the progress being made by companies like Seqirus that contribute to the nation’s preparedness capabilities.”