Moderna to build 'state-of-the-art' vaccine plant in Canada

Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Massachusetts-based Moderna announced Tuesday that it's agreed to build a "state-of-the-art" vaccine manufacturing facility in Canada to boost the country's access to vaccines for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

The biotechnology company said the collaboration will create more access to mRNA vaccines for viruses including the seasonal flu and respiratory syncytial virus.

"I would like to thank the government of Canada for the partnership they have built with us and for their faith in our data, science and early confidence in our mRNA platform in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said.

"As a company, we are committed to global public health. While we are still responding to this pandemic, we also want to ensure we and society learn from it. As Moderna expands internationally, we are delighted to bring mRNA manufacturing to Canada. We believe that this innovative business model will have global impact and implications."

Moderna said it's open to entering into similar agreements with other governments.

More than 71% of Canadians have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 61% are fully vaccinated, according to the COVID-19 Tracker Canada project. The country initially struggled to administer vaccines after approving ones created by Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca.

"We are excited to expand our presence and continue our long-term collaboration with Canada," said Patricia Gauthier, Moderna's Canadian general manager. "With our industry-leading mRNA technology platform and rapid drug development capabilities, we look forward to being an active participant in Canada's robust life sciences ecosystem."