Following months of discussions with Billingham based Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies and Government ministers, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen is delighted to announce that the Government has confirmed millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be produced in Teesside in the coming months.
The Government has reached an agreement with American-based Novavax that will see the vaccine, which is currently in a testing phase, being made at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies in Billingham – the only manufacturing site of the vaccine across the whole of the UK.
This follows the recent announcement that Fujifilm are currently building a new BioCampus at its Billingham site, which Mayor Houchen supported with nearly £4million.
The new development will include the construction of a 42,000 square foot purpose built office accommodation and visitor centre and this is expected to include additional research and development laboratories and new manufacturing facilities, which would be used to manufacture the vaccine.
The agreement will see up to 60 million doses of the vaccine produced in Teesside – if the clinical trials prove to be successful and the vaccine is approved for wider use.
Once manufactured in Billingham, the vaccine can be supplied to the British public as soon as possible.
If the vaccines are safe and successful in clinical trials, both could be delivered to the UK in mid-2021. They would be given first to priority groups such as frontline health and social care workers, ethnic minorities, adults with serious diseases, and the elderly.
Mayor Houchen said: ““It has been fantastic to work with Fujifilm to ensure the government has reached this agreement with them. They are doing fantastic work in our hugely important bioscience sector, creating the skilled jobs we need and leading the way on innovation, and there’s no bigger project across the world right now than creating and manufacturing a coronavirus vaccine.
“This will be the only place in the whole country where this vaccine will be manufactured, and it will be done in Teesside. It is a fantastic coup for our area and shows once again the potential and the talent we have in the region.
“We’ve heard a lot of stories about local businesses and research organisations across the region working hard to support the national effort on coronavirus, and this is the most significant step yet.
“Once again Teesside is leading the way and putting itself on the world stage for the fantastic work we do in our region. This is a significant announcement that everyone in Teesside should be proud of as we are at the forefront of the nation’s efforts to get life back to normal and protect us all from the coronavirus.”
Fujifilm supports its partners in the biopharmaceutical industry with the development and production of their biologics, vaccines and gene therapies.
