A roundup of manufacturing news from Moderna, Novocol Pharma, Sandoz, Just – Evotec Biologics, Full-Life Technologies and CATTI. Highlights below. 

* Moderna, Novocol Pharma in Fill-Finish for mRNA Vaccines
* Sandoz, Just – Evotec Biologics in Biosimilars Mfg Pact   
* Full-Life Technologies Plans New Radiopharmaceutical Mfg Facility
* CATTI Opens Cell- & Gene-Therapy Mfg Training Center of Excellence

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Moderna, Novocol Pharma in Fill-Finish for mRNA Vaccines 
Moderna has formed a long-term agreement with Novocol Pharma, an Ontario, Canada-based sterile injectable CDMO, to perform aseptic fill–finish, labelling. and packaging of mRNA respiratory vaccines.  

The agreement covers vaccines manufactured at Moderna’s Laval, Quebec, Canada-based mRNA facility to be prepared and packaged at Novocol’s Ontario-based facility. Moderna’s facility is expected to become operational by the end of 2024, subject to planning and regulatory approvals.  

The government of Ontario, through the Ontario Together Fund, has provided a grant to Moderna. Moderna’s partnership with Novocol Pharma also supports the government of Canada’s strategic investments under Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy to provide onshore respiratory vaccine-manufacturing capabilities and support national pandemic readiness.  

Source: Novocol Pharma 

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Sandoz, Just – Evotec Biologics in Biosimilars Mfg Pact 
Sandoz, the generic and biosimilar business of Novartis, has announced a multi-year partnership with Just – Evotec Biologics, the Seattle-based subsidiary of Evotec, a Hamburg, Germany-based drug-discovery and development company. The agreement covers the development and manufacture of multiple biosimilars with an option for expansion. Sandoz gains access to Evotec’s artificial intelligence-driven technology platform for integrated drug-substance development and continuous manufacturing.  

Source: Novartis 

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Full-Life Technologies Plans New Radiopharmaceutical Mfg Facility 
Full-Life Technologies, a Shanghai-based radiotherapeutics company, has closed on a 17,000-square-meter land purchase in Wallonia, Belgium, and signed a purchase agreement to build a GMP manufacturing facility to produce radiopharmaceuticals.

Source: Full-Life Technologies 

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CATTI Opens Cell- & Gene-Therapy Mfg Training Center of Excellence
The Canadian Advanced Therapies Training Institute (CATTI) has launched an in-person training site through a partnership with OmniaBio, a Hamilton, Ontario, Canada-based CDMO of cell- and gene-therapies, CCRM, a healthcare group and the parent company of OmniaBio, and the University of Guelph.

The training program, to begin in the summer 2023, will cater to recent post-secondary graduates, industry professionals, and companies growing cleanroom manufacturing staff. The new cell- and gene-therapy technical training site will address the industry’s training needs and represents the first stage of a larger, multi-site training strategy for CATTI.

Source: CATTI