Future Vaccine site sold to US firm Catalent
The UK future vaccine manufacturing site in Oxfordshire has been sold to US firm Catalent Biotherapeutics.
Catalent confirmed they acquired the site in Oxfordshire without releasing details of the deal.
The American company said they will invest £120million into the partially constructed Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre.
The VMIC, which is being built at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, was placed on the market in late 2021. The project had previously been the recipient of £200 million from the public purse.
Catalent is a global leader in enabling biopharma, cell, gene, and consumer health partners to optimize development, launch, and supply medical treatments. The firm employs 1,300 people across four facilities in Nottingham, Swindon, Haverhill, and Dartford.
Catalent said they will equip it with state-of-the-art capabilities for the development and manufacture of biologic therapies and vaccines, including mRNA, proteins, and other advanced modalities. It is expected that the new facility will employ more than 400 people and support public and private organizations seeking to develop and manufacture biotherapeutics.
Mike Riley, President of Catalent Biotherapeutics, said: “This acquisition allows Catalent to collaborate with the rich academic and biomedical science community centered around Oxford, with its world-class talent, and will result in a facility that provides opportunities to transform innovation into real treatments for patients across the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond."
“Our priority is to complete construction as soon as possible to be able to commence customer programs in 2022. We will then integrate its capabilities within our existing network of biologics facilities across Europe to offer a flexible range of manufacturing, technology, and development solutions for the pipeline of thousands of development programs currently underway.”
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