Vaccine-maker Moderna has opened a new manufacturing base in Oxfordshire in a boost to the pharmaceutical industry after other major firms shelved or paused planned UK investments this year.
The company said the Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, near Chilton, is the UK’s first facility to manufacture mRNA jabs onshore.
The facility can make up to 100 million doses per year, rising to 250 million in a pandemic, and will create around 150 highly skilled jobs, the Government said.
It comes amid a challenging backdrop for investment for the sector.
Last week, UK pharmaceutical giant GSK revealed plans to put nearly £22 billion into US research and development and manufacturing over the next five years.
It came after US-based drugmaker Merck said its UK operation will scrap plans for a £1 billion site in London’s Kings Cross, which had been due to open in 2027.
Bosses blamed the Government for paying too little for medicines and not investing enough in the sector, as it confirmed the move, which will impact around 125 jobs.
Days later, AstraZeneca announced it had paused plans to invest £200 million at a Cambridge research site.
Industry bosses recently told MPs that a “difficult” environment and pressure on pricing had made the UK a less attractive investment environment than other countries such as the US.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the “new cutting-edge facility” in Oxfordshire marks the “next pivotal moment in boosting our nation’s health, innovation and economy”.
He went on: “The Government is investing billions into this vital sector, and partnering the might of Moderna with the brilliance of our NHS will enable us to benefit from innovative vaccine technology as we shift healthcare from treatment to prevention.”
Darius Hughes, UK general manager of Moderna, said the site strengthens the country’s “pandemic preparedness”.
Stephane Bancel, chief executive of the firm, added: “This latest milestone underscores the UK’s commitment to improving health security, both against global health emergencies and ongoing seasonal respiratory threats.”
Moderna is investing more than £1 billion in UK research and development as part of 10-year strategic partnership with Government.
