GSK to invest more than $250 million in new vaccine freeze-drying unit at its Wavre campus (Belgium). The center is located in the southeast of the Belgian capital, to be operational in 2027 Tens of millions of doses of the vaccine will be produced each year, according to a company spokesperson.
The division, strategically designed to increase production efficiency while minimizing its environmental footprint, will be responsible for Production of live and non-live vaccines. These include Arexvy, the company’s adjuvanted vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The vaccine was approved by the European Commission in June last year, becoming the first vaccine approved in Europe to protect adults over 60 from RSV infection and prevent lower respiratory tract diseases.
As the company announced, European debut of Arexvy planned ahead of VRS 2023/2024 seasonusually starting in autumn.
The center will also produce malaria vaccines Mosquex and Singerixis the first approved recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV), which combines a non-live antigen with a GSK adjuvant that may help overcome the age-related decline in natural immunity, thereby helping to protect 50 Adults aged and over. disease.
GSK’s (GSK) chief commercial officer Luke Miels already emphasized the importance of Arexvy’s growth trajectory during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in February. While Arexvy may not be able to match Shingrix’s meteoric rise, GSK intends to follow a similar rollout strategyfocusing on “maintaining price discipline, expanding to Europe and the rest of the world over the next few years”.
outside European territory, GSK invests in vaccine production in Singapore. Last month, the company broke ground on a $254 million facility at its Tuas headquarters to manufacture the hepatitis B vaccine Engerix-B. This too will begin commercial production in 2027.
The purpose of freeze-drying technology is to improve the stability of vaccines and extend their shelf life.. Rudy Rosolen, vice president of production at GSK Belgium, said the center’s innovative technology will help improve the reliability of supply, the number of doses and their quality.