Novartis’ influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in the USA

A facility for the manufacture of cell-culture derived influenza vaccines is under construction in Holly Springs, North Carolina, in the USA.

Project Specifications
Novartis broke ground at the facility on August 23, 2007.It is being built on a 167 acres site at the Holly Springs Business Park. The glass and concrete facility spread across 300, 000 square foot will have the capacity of a Good Manufacturing Practice compliant warehouse, administrative offices and a manufacturing plant. Construction is anticipated to be complete by 2009, followed by validations and FDA approvals, which might lead the manufacturing process to be operative by 2011.

Investment
According to estimates, the total investment in the project would be around US$ 600 million. A grant worth US$ 220 million has been granted to Novartis from the US Health and Human Services Department for the development of the vaccines, which would go into the development of the infrastructure. The township of Holly Springs has offered an incentive package of US$ 8.3 million for the acquisition of the land. An additional US$ 11 million will be spent by the township towards infrastructural developments like new roads and water and sewerage systems.

Capacity
On completion, the facility is estimated to produce dosages of seasonal trivalent flu vaccine of around 50 million. In case of emergencies like a pandemic flu declaration, the facility will have the capacity to produce up to 150 million monovalent dosages of the MF59-adjuvanted pandemic flu vaccine.

Project Name

Novartis’ vaccine manufacturing facility

Location

Holly Springs, North Carolina, USA

Commence

August 23, 2007

Completion

2011

Estimated Investment

US$ 600 million

Capacity

Dosage capacity of around 50 million with an additional capacity of producing 150 million dosages du

Key Players

Novartis