Sebelius Attends Opening of Cell-Based Influenza Vaccine Manufacturing Facility

Secretary Sebelius attended the opening of a new cell-based influenza vaccine manufacturing facility on Tuesday, November 24.  HHS helped support the development of the U.S. cell-based influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina through a public-private partnership with Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Inc.  The facility is the first of its kind in the United States.

"The opening of Novartis's cell-based influenza manufacturing plant in Holly Springs, North Carolina is an important step forward in expanding our domestic influenza vaccine manufacturing capability," said Secretary Sebelius.  "Built upon financial support from HHS, this facility lays the cornerstone for a strong, flexible flu vaccine manufacturing infrastructure, and moves us down the path we have set to transform vaccine technologies that will support rapid, flexible and reliable approaches to influenza and other emerging threats. The completion of this plant is a significant investment for the U.S. and demonstrates the power of effective public-private partnerships."

Novartis expects the facility to be ready as early as 2011 to produce vaccine for emergency use in a situation such as a pandemic.  The plant is intended to be running at full-scale commercial production capacity in 2013 in order to provide substantial amounts of pandemic vaccine within 6 months of pandemic onset as well as provide flexible manufacturing capability for other vaccine needs.