Sanofi Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art Facility in Swiftwater for Sustainable Production of Pandemic Flu Vaccines

Rhea-AI Summary

Sanofi and BARDA celebrated the groundbreaking of a new formulation and filling facility in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania, on April 4, 2023. This state-of-the-art facility, supported by federal funds, aims to enhance the manufacturing of pandemic influenza vaccines. It will include cutting-edge technology for syringe and vial filling, contributing to Sanofi's commitment to pandemic preparedness. The project complements a contract awarded in December 2019 to boost domestic vaccine production capabilities. Sanofi plans to utilize advanced recombinant technology, expanding its capacity to deliver effective vaccines during pandemics.

Positive

• Investment in a new advanced facility to enhance pandemic vaccine production.
• Facility uses state-of-the-art technology for vaccine filling, supporting future pandemic preparedness.
• Contract with BARDA enhances Sanofi's capabilities in integrated vaccine technology.

Negative

• None.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J., April 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanofi and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), celebrated today the groundbreaking of a new, state-of-the-art formulation and filling facility at Sanofi's Swiftwater site in Pennsylvania.

The new formulation and filling facility will be a two-story building complete with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) formulation, filling, and support areas. The filler will be capable of filling syringe and vials using isolator barrier technology and single use technology for flexibility. This manufacturing facility represents one of three significant manufacturing investments made at the site, supported by federal funds, as part of a contract awarded earlier on December 5, 2019 by BARDA to increase domestic production capabilities for recombinant pandemic influenza vaccines.

Rakesh Kakkar
US Head of Vaccine Manufacturing and Supply, Sanofi
"This groundbreaking event marks another significant step in our longstanding relationship with BARDA. Past pandemics confirmed that public-private partnerships are key to providing a relevant and quick answer to pandemic situations. Our Swiftwater site, and Sanofi teams globally, have the highest level of expertise in helping to protect people against flu and its complications. We are committed to maintaining continuous efforts to prepare for the next flu pandemic." 

The Sanofi-BARDA contract supports the clinical development of an adjuvanted recombinant pandemic influenza vaccine that utilizes the same technology as Sanofi's recombinant quadrivalent influenza vaccine. The contract also expands the Swiftwater site's capacity to be a center of excellence for pandemic preparedness by enhancing vaccine manufacturing, adding both recombinant and adjuvant technologies to the current egg-based platform capabilities.

This project has been supported in whole or in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), under contract number 75A50120D00002.

About Pandemic Preparedness
As the world's largest manufacturer of seasonal flu vaccines, Sanofi has established capability and can play its part to bring any new pandemic infection under control. Sanofi has extensive expertise and experience in flu prevention, providing over 250 million doses of flu vaccines every year to more than 120 countries. Sanofi also developed and registered vaccines to address the 2009 A/HIN1 pandemic in a matter of weeks.

Egg-based vaccine supply would well contribute to support a global influenza pandemic response should it arise either from A/H5N1 or any other influenza strain. The objective of Sanofi's contract with BARDA is to expand pandemic influenza preparedness and leverage another – recombinant, protein-based – technology to deliver a pandemic vaccine.

About Recombinant Technology
Production of recombinant flu vaccines does not require an egg or cell-grown vaccine virus or the candidate vaccine virus. Instead, recombinant vaccines are created synthetically by using the virus's genetic instructions, ensuring exact match of the vaccine with the circulating virus strain. 

About Sanofi
We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives. Our team, across some 100 countries, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions.

Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY.

Media Relations
Sally Bain | + 1 781 264 1091 | sally.bain@sanofi.com
Evan Berland | + 1 215 432 0234 | evan.berland@sanofi.com

Investor Relations
Eva Schaefer-Jansen | + 33 7 86 80 56 39 | eva.schaefer-jansen@sanofi.com 
Arnaud Delépine | + 33 6 73 69 36 93 | arnaud.delepine@sanofi.com
Corentine Driancourt | + 33 6 40 56 92 21 | corentine.driancourt@sanofi.com  
Felix Lauscher | + 1 908 612 7239 | felix.lauscher@sanofi.com 
Tarik Elgoutni | + 1 617 710 3587 | tarik.elgoutni@sanofi.com  
Nathalie Pham | + 33 7 85 93 30 17 | nathalie.pham@sanofi.com

Sanofi Disclaimers or Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include projections and estimates regarding the marketing and other potential of the product, or regarding potential future revenues from the product. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "plans" and similar expressions. Although Sanofi's management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of Sanofi, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays, or government regulation generally, that could affect the availability or commercial potential of the product, the fact that product may not be commercially successful, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including future clinical data and analysis of existing clinical data relating to the product, including post marketing, unexpected safety, quality or manufacturing issues, competition in general, risks associated with intellectual property and any related future litigation and the ultimate outcome of such litigation, and volatile economic and market conditions, and the impact that COVID-19 will have on us, our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other business partners, and the financial condition of any one of them, as well as on our employees and on the global economy as a whole. The risks and uncertainties also include the uncertainties discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by Sanofi, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in Sanofi's annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022. Other than as required by applicable law, Sanofi does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.

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SOURCE Sanofi

FAQ

What significant investment did Sanofi announce on April 4, 2023?

Sanofi announced the groundbreaking of a new formulation and filling facility in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania, supported by BARDA.

How will the new facility impact pandemic preparedness for Sanofi?

The new facility will enhance Sanofi's capability to produce pandemic influenza vaccines using advanced technology.

What technology will be utilized in Sanofi's new facility?

The facility will employ isolator barrier technology and single-use technology for flexibility in filling syringes and vials.

When was the contract awarded to Sanofi to increase vaccine production capabilities?

The contract was awarded on December 5, 2019, by BARDA.

What is the purpose of the Sanofi-BARDA contract?

The contract supports the clinical development of an adjuvanted recombinant pandemic influenza vaccine.