Massachusetts-based Cytiva will partner with the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) to expand its manufacturing capacity for COVID-19 vaccine components and aid the federal Operation Warp Speed.
Operation Warp Speed is focused on bending U.S.-based manufacturing toward products essential to the development and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines. Now, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the DoD Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense and Army Contracting Command will provide approximately $31 million to Cytiva to aid the consumables portion of this endeavor.
In this context, consumables include liquid and dry powder cell culture media, cell culture buffers, mixer bags, and XDR bioreactors. Cytiva will expand the manufacturing capacity of these items in its Massachusetts and Utah facilities. Currently, the company only manufactures consumables in Massachusetts. All should be complete in less than 12 months.
“By expanding capacity now, not only do we help deliver these products as quickly as possible, but we also return manufacturing to America, boosting the economy and preparing us for future crises,” HHS Secretary Alex Azar said.
Cytiva is a primary supplier for many of the companies currently working with the U.S. government to produce COVID-19 vaccines.