Australia signs contracts with Moderna to build Melbourne mRNA manufacturing facility

Australia will produce up to 100 million mRNA vaccines a year from 2024 under a 10-year multibillion-dollar deal inked between Moderna and the federal government.

The country’s first mRNA research hub and manufacturing facility will be built in Melbourne. The exact location is subject to negotiations between Moderna and the Andrews government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison touring Monash University on Thursday morning. Credit: Paul Jeffers

Speaking at Monash University’s Clayton campus on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said “mRNA before the pandemic began was largely looked on as almost science fiction, and now it’s a science reality”.

“And it’s a science reality here in manufacturing in Australia. There are a few countries in the world that have been able to get to this point through the course of the pandemic, and certainly none in the southern hemisphere.”

The Morrison government in December announced it had entered into an in-principle agreement with Moderna and the Victorian government. Thursday’s announcement was to mark the signing of contracts between the Commonwealth and the pharmaceutical giant, but Premier Daniel Andrews was not at the press conference despite the significance of the deal to Victoria and his government.

Put simply, mRNA teaches human cells how to make copies of the spike protein that triggers an immune response to fight off an illness.

The Melbourne facility will produce respiratory vaccines for potential future pandemics, as well as influenza, COVID-19 and seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Construction will begin by the end of this year and manufacturing from 2024.

Moderna Australia and New Zealand general manager Michael Azrak said the company was working on a combined COVID-19 and influenza vaccine to be potentially manufactured within the next few years.

“Australia is going to be a pioneer and frontier in the [research and development] community that’s going to provide the next-wave mRNA science, and I’m immensely proud Moderna will be a bedrock within the [research and development] community,” Mr Azrak said.

The Prime Minister did not reveal the exact cost of the deal, citing commercial confidence. He said the exact location of the facility would be determined later, but indicated the federal government was keen for it to be built near Monash, in the ultra-marginal Liberal seat of Chisholm.

The Commonwealth was in talks with Moderna for months. The deal also ends the federal government’s earlier call for separate proposals to build mRNA manufacturing centres locally.

Both the Victorian and NSW state governments committed millions in funding for such facilities earlier this year. Victoria put $50 million on the table and NSW committed $96 million.

Once the facility is built, it will be the largest producer of mRNA vaccines in the region, and Australia will be given priority access to the vaccines.

There are currently no mRNA manufacturing facilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore announced a deal in May to manufacture millions of doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine but its facility is yet to be completed.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the announcement would create hundreds of jobs, including 150 highly-skilled on-site medical jobs, and save lives.

“It’s also about the precision medicines of the future,” Mr Hunt said. “So we can literally tailor the treatments for individuals over the course of the next decade.”

With Rachel Clun

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