Emergent Issued $628 Million Task Order from BARDA to Assist in US COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

Emergent BioSolutions announced on June 1, 2020 that it has been issued a task order under a present contract with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the United States Department of Health & Human Services, to use its contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) capabilities to assist in the US government’s efforts to deliver COVID-19 vaccines. The deal is valued at approximately $628 million.

Under the terms of the task order, Emergent will reserve manufacturing capacity valued at approximately $542.7 million for the production of COVID-19 vaccine candidates through 2021, a company press release said. Drug substance manufacturing will take place at the company’s Baltimore Bayview facility and drug product manufacturing will occur at the Baltimore Camden and Rockville locations. The order also includes an investment of $85.5 million to rapidly expand the company’s viral and non-viral CDMO drug product fill/finish capacity at its Baltimore Camden and Rockville facilities.

The task order is being issued under Emergent’s 2012 contract with BARDA that established the company’s Baltimore Bayview facility as a Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) for pandemic preparedness, the press release said. The company had previously announced collaborations for COVID-19 vaccine candidates with the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Novavax, and Vaxart, which are currently underway.

“Emergent is proud of this expanded BARDA partnership that symbolizes confidence in our development and manufacturing capabilities that have served the US government’s needs for more than two decades,” said Robert G. Kramer Sr., president and CEO of Emergent, in the press release. “Our longstanding record of delivering safe and effective medical countermeasures for public health positions us to continue to help at this critical moment by advancing COVID-19 vaccine programs of our fellow innovators in the industry.”

“This innovative solution paves the way for pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovators with leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates to have an established US development and manufacturing supply chain. This investment in increased capacity and capabilities will serve the industry’s expanding clinical and commercial pipelines more broadly, ultimately benefiting more patients globally,” said Syed T. Husain, senior vice-president and CDMO business unit head at Emergent, in the press release.

Source: Emergent