Chris Whitehouse, a political consultant and expert on medical technology policy and regulation at Whitehouse Communications, and advisor to MedTech suppliers welcomes substantial investment in vaccine production.
The UK government has unveiled plans for a new vaccine manufacturing facility in Oxfordshire alongside a 50 million GGBP fund to support advanced medical manufacturing projects.
The new Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC), located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, will provide domestic capacity to produce millions of mRNA vaccine doses rapidly. Designed to enhance pandemic preparedness, the facility reduces reliance on international supply chains and enables faster deployment of vaccines for emerging health threats.
The centre will create highly skilled jobs and support work on mRNA vaccine technology to target cancer, seasonal flu, RSV, and COVID-19. It has the capacity to produce up to 100 million mRNA vaccine doses annually, with the potential to scale to 250 million in a pandemic scenario, supporting NHS vaccination programmes and enabling rapid adaptation of vaccines for new viral threats. MITC is the UK’s first onshore facility to manufacture mRNA vaccines.
Complementing the manufacturing centre, the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) will provide 50 million GBP to support companies investing in advanced production technologies. The fund aims to stimulate private investment, create high-value jobs, and accelerate the translation of research into treatments, including novel vaccines, cell and gene therapies, diagnostics, and precision medicine.
The UK life sciences industry is already valued at more than 94 billion GBP and employs over 250,000 people. The government expects that investment in manufacturing capacity and innovation will further reinforce the UK’s role as a hub for pharmaceutical development, building on the country’s leading position in Covid-19 vaccine research and production.
The Author used AI in preparing this article, comments upon, or questions about which can be addressed to chris.whitehouse@whitehousecomms.com.
