Walvax (SHE: 300142) recently formed a strategic collaboration with Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) that led to the construction of China’s first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine production plant. The company has been working since 2017 to become a leading vaccine R&D company, recounted Shawn Opatka, vice president, life sciences, Honeywell Process Solutions. “Their goals accelerated the construction of…
Sanofi details €2B plan to make France an mRNA leader
French drugmaker Sanofi (Nasdaq:SNY) said it would spend €935 million (about $1.1 billion) between 2022 and 2026 to produce mRNA-based vaccines. That funding is part of a larger €2 billion (about $2.4 billion) initiative to accelerate its mRNA development capability, Sanofi explained on its French-language website. The company intends to use the funds to ramp…
Pfizer teams up with Acuitas Therapeutics to expand use of LNP in mRNA vaccines and therapeutics
Looking to expand its mRNA franchise, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) announced a pact with Acuitas, which specializes in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation technology. The deal allows Pfizer to license Acuitas’ LNP technology in up to 10 targets for vaccine or therapeutic development. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech currently use Acuitas’ LNP in their Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer…
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany acquires Exelead to bolster mRNA offerings
Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Exelead (Indianapolis), a biopharma contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). Not to be confused with the similarly named Merck & Co., the German company will pay roughly $780 million in the acquisition. Exelead specializes in creating lipid nanoparticle and pegylated…
Aldevron and Ginkgo Bioworks announce mRNA manufacturing ‘breakthrough’
The partnership between Aldevron (Fargo, N.D.) and Ginkgo Bioworks (Boston) has resulted in an improvement in the manufacturing yield of the vaccinia capping enzyme (VCE). VCEs are often used in the production of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics. The new production protocol is more than 10 times more efficient than the prior process, according to a…
Canadian federal advisory committee prefers mRNA COVID-19 vaccines
Canada’s National Advisory Council on Immunization (NACI) has recommended that Canadians wait to receive the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines from Moderna (NSDQ:MRNA) and Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) when feasible. The advice stands in contrast to prior guidance that Canadians seek the first-available vaccines. “What we’re saying and what we’ve said all along is that mRNA vaccines are the…
Pfizer vaccine stable at standard freezer temps, effective with single dose
Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NSDQ:BNTX) have submitted data to FDA indicating that their vaccine is stable at –25° C to –15°C. Currently, the vaccine can be stored in an ultra-cold freezer between –80° C and –60° C, according to current CDC guidelines. Updating the companies’ emergency use authorization prescribing information would be simplify logistics. It would…