Moderna initiates Africa-based mRNA facility

Moderna officials said the company is slated to build a messenger RNA (mRNA) facility in Africa, producing up to 500 million vaccine doses annually at the 50 microgram dose level.

“Since Moderna’s founding in 2010, our mission has been to make a transformative impact on human lives through our medicines,” Stephane Bancel, Moderna’s CEO, said. “After a decade of pioneering the development of our mRNA platform, we have been humbled to play a critical role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic globally with our mRNA vaccine.”

Bancel said the company is determined to extend its societal impact via the mRNA manufacturing facility.

“While we are still working to increase capacity in our current network to deliver vaccines for the ongoing pandemic in 2022, we believe it is important to invest in the future,” Bancel said. “We expect to manufacture our COVID-19 vaccine as well as additional products within our mRNA vaccine portfolio at this facility.”

Officials indicated Moderna has presently supplied over 500 million doses of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine, adding the establishment of the new facility would increase capacity while expanding the firm’s global network.

Moderna’s scope of work includes vaccines combating respiratory viruses, latent viruses and vaccines against threats to global public health, per authorities.