WuXi Biologics’ subsidiary, WuXi Vaccines, is investing $240 million to build a new vaccine manufacturing facility in Ireland. This investment follows the 20-year manufacturing Letter of Intent (LOI) signed by WuXi Vaccines earlier this year.

Under the LOI, this new dedicated vaccine manufacturing facility, including drug substance manufacturing (MFG15), drug product manufacturing (DP5) as well as Quality Control labs (QC), will supply a vaccine product of a large global pharma for the global market. The new vaccine manufacturing facility, subject to planning approval, will be located within the WuXi Biologics Campus adjacent to the “Factory of the Future” biologics drug substance manufacturing facility, which is scheduled for commercial manufacturing in 2021.

Dr. Chris Chen, chief executive officer of WuXi Biologics and chairman of WuXi Vaccines, said, “We’re excited to dedicate our first vaccine manufacturing facility in Ireland to enable a large global pharma in the field of vaccines. Due to process complexity, extensive analytic testing and rigorous regulatory standards, vaccines are difficult to manufacture, and process and quality control are extremely critical for the quality of the product. This new project to exclusively manufacture a vaccine for a global large pharma to supply the global market is among the first of its kind in the industry and is a further testimony to the technical strengths, premier quality, and commercial manufacturing expertise which WuXi Biologics will bring to Dundalk.”