Melbourne is one step closer to locally manufactured mRNA vaccines and medicines, with construction of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, reaching the halfway mark, ahead of schedule.
On schedule for completion in 2024, Moderna’s Manufacturing Facility will have the capacity to produce 100 million vaccine doses per year for respiratory diseases. Moderna plans to manufacture a range of mRNA vaccines at the facility from their pipeline for respiratory health conditions including influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and COVID-19.
The construction phase has created up to 500 jobs and up to 500 additional advanced manufacturing jobs will be created across Victoria’s burgeoning biotechnology industry once the facility is operational.
The Manufacturing Facility is a key component of Moderna’s strategic investment into Australia, complemented by the recent opening of Moderna’s Regional Research Centre for Respiratory Medicines and Tropical Disease and Moderna Headquarters for Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and Oceania in Victoria.
Moderna Australia and New Zealand General Manager, Michael Azrak said, “We're thrilled by the rapid progress we've made in constructing our first large-scale mRNA manufacturing facility for Australia, bringing us one step closer to its completion in the second half of 2024. This milestone underscores Moderna's unwavering commitment to providing Australians with timely access to pandemic response capabilities and the vital capacity to manufacture ground-breaking mRNA vaccines for seasonal respiratory and emerging viruses."
Moderna is also forming partnerships with Victoria’s world-leading medical research institutes and clinical trial networks, allowing Victorians to be among the first people in the world to trial new mRNA medicines for a range of health conditions.
The Victorian Government continues to lead mRNA capability in Australia, having invested $12.3 million in the Victorian Budget 2023/24 to develop mRNA technology and builds on the $1.3 billion investment in medical research since 2014.
Victoria is responsible for almost 60% of Australia’s pharmaceutical exports – making it our highest-value advanced manufacturing export - and the biotech sector supports more than 100,000 full-time jobs.
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