Additional Moderna Investments to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Output

Moderna recently announced that it is making new capital investments to increase global manufacturing capacity of its COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273. 

The company will make investments to increase capacity at its owned and partnered manufacturing facilities, which will ensure a significant boost in its capacity to produce mRNA-1273. 

Moderna expects about another 1.4 billion doses of the vaccine globally by 2022, assuming the 100-microgram dose.

Additionally, the funding will also provide flexibility in addressing production of potential vaccine boosters that may be needed to address emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2.

Moderna expects that about 12 months may be necessary before additional production is available due to the six-to-nine-month timeframe to permit validation and ramp-up. 

“Because of the high efficacy of our COVID-19 vaccine and our ability to quickly develop variant vaccines to help boost the immune system of vaccinees, there is increased demand,” Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said in the announcement. 

“We are investing in this additional capacity to help us increase production and allow for flexibility in manufacturing potential vaccine boosters to address emerging variants of the virus,” Bancel continued. 

The increased capacity will depend on the dose of the booster. The company will study a dose range of 50 micrograms and lower for variant-based boosters and an additional booster of mRNA-1273. 

If the 50-microgram dose proves effective in the studies, the 2022 supply could be more than 1.4 billion doses, Moderna explained. The total supply will depend on the mix between the authorized COVID-19 vaccine at 100 micrograms and the dose level authorized for a booster. 

Additionally, the company has the potential to supply up to 2.8 billion doses in 2022 if it dedicates its entire capacity to a 50 microgram boost. The maximum output will be determined as the product becomes more fully developed. 

Moderna also announced that it is increasing its base plan for 2021 manufacturing from 600 million doses to 700 million doses globally, and is working to improve throughput to potentially deliver up to 1 billion doses in 2021. 

These numbers are a slight jump from January when Moderna estimated its base-case global production would land between 500 to 600 million doses for 2021. 

So far, the company has shipped nearly 60 million doses globally, including 55 million doses shipped to the US government to date and the first nearly 4 million doses shipped from its prior US supply chain. 

An additional 33 million doses of mRNA-1273 have been produced in the US and are in the final stages of production and testing before release. 

Moderna expects to complete delivery of the first 100 million doses to the US government by the end of the first quarter 2021, the second 100 million doses by the end of May 2021, and the third 100 million doses by the end of July 2021.

Throughout its COVID-19 drug and vaccine production, Moderna noted one particular constraint, which was the capacity of the fill-and-finish process. To reduce this issue, the company studied the possibility of adding more doses to each vial of vaccine.

Adding additional doses would improve output because it accelerates complete manufacturing and eliminates the need for consumable materials that are crucial during the pandemic. 

So far, FDA has provided positive feedback on the proposal and is pursuing a plan that may allow up to 15 doses to be drawn from each vial. This will allow Moderna to produce and deliver additional doses in a quick and efficient manner.

Moderna stated that it will continue to collaborate with its manufacturing partners and the federal government to boost the efficiency of its production process without compromising quality or safety.