AstraZeneca plans to expand European vaccine manufacturing

ASTRAZENECA has signed a deal with IDT Biologika to explore options to accelerate manufacturing of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in Europe.

Production problems with the AstraZeneca vaccine at a facility in Belgium have resulted in a supply shortage of the vaccine in the EU. It has now announced plans to expand European manufacturing via a deal with IDT Biologika, with the companies assessing options to increase the output of the vaccine from the second quarter of this year.  

In addition, up to five 2,000 L bioreactors will be built at IDT Biologika’s production site in Dessau, Germany, through a joint investment. This will enable the production of tens of millions of doses per month. It is expected that this will be operational by the end of 2022. It also has the potential to enable the manufacture of other vaccines with a similar manufacturing process.

Jürgen Betzing, Chief Executive Officer, IDT Biologika, said: “We are proud that AstraZeneca has chosen us as a strategic partner for the manufacturing of their vaccines. The agreement underscores our expertise in the production of demanding vector-based vaccines and our ability to provide a one-stop solution, from creating drug substance, through to ‘fill and finish’ and secondary packaging.”

Pascal Soriot, Astra Zeneca’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This agreement will greatly help Europe build an independent vaccine manufacturing capability that will allow it to meet the challenges of the current pandemic and create strategic supply capacity for the future.”