During the initial vaccine shortages of the coronavirus pandemic, the German government proactively secured future vaccine production and supply by inviting companies to bid for pandemic-preparedness contracts. Among those awarded contracts were WACKER and CordenPharma, who jointly bid for the production readiness of mRNA-based vaccines.
In preparation for future pandemics, WACKER and CordenPharma have committed to producing up to 80 million vaccine doses annually at short notice. They will receive compensation to maintain their production capacity and expertise in standby mode for at least five years. Should the need arise, the German government will engage the developer of the required mRNA vaccine. WACKER and CordenPharma will then collaborate to manufacture the vaccine to the highest pharmaceutical standards, with most production steps occurring within Germany and all within the European Union.
WACKER’s site in Halle, Germany, will play a pivotal role in this initiative by producing plasmid DNA (pDNA), essential for mRNA manufacture, as well as the mRNA active and its formulation using Lipid NanoParticles (LNPs). Over the past two years, WACKER has expanded its Halle facility, culminating in the recent establishment of their mRNA Competence Center.
As part of the consortium, CordenPharma is prepared to manufacture custom and standard lipids at their sites in Frankfurt (DE) and Chenôve (FR). They will also provide aseptic fill & finish and packaging services for the chosen mRNA-based vaccine at their Caponago (IT) facility.
During the qualification phase, CordenPharma made significant investments in expanding their capabilities, including new lipid purification capacity utilizing Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC), and enhanced compounding and freezing equipment. Together, WACKER and CordenPharma have fortified their production security and supplier networks as part of a comprehensive pandemic readiness strategy across their EU sites.
“We have transformed our Halle site into a leading Competence Center for mRNA production,” stated Christian Hartel, CEO of WACKER. “With over 100 million Euros invested and more than 100 highly skilled jobs created, our expertise in mRNA and LNPs will be instrumental in combating future pandemics. We are honored to partner with CordenPharma in supporting the German government’s pandemic preparedness efforts.”
Michael Quirmbach, CEO of CordenPharma Group, added, “Securing official pandemic readiness confirmation from the German government marks a significant milestone for CordenPharma. I am immensely proud of our teams across all sites involved, delivering our pandemic readiness plan on schedule. Together with WACKER, we stand ready to produce end-to-end mRNA-based vaccines for the German government and other customers.
