Spain, at the forefront of mRNA medicine, after becoming Moderna’s largest production center outside the US.

2023-04-20 15:50:36

spain has already become Moderna’s largest integrated production center outside the USA. The young American laboratory, which became known worldwide for obtaining the approval of one of the first and most effective vaccines against Covid, based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, inaugurated this Thursday in Madrid a new international center of analytical excellence that will make it possible to carry out the pertinent controls to certify batches of mRNA vaccines for distribution in Spain and in more than 60 countries.

In this way, our country is placed at the forefront of mRNA medicine as it is the only nation, apart from the United States, in which the company covers the complete vaccine production and manufacturing process with this new technology. To this day, the active principle is manufactured in Granada with the collaboration of Rovi, in Madrid the vaccines are filled and in this new center, also located in the capital, their quality is checked.

As stated by the general director of Moderna for Spain and Portugal, Juan Carlos Gil, during the inauguration of the new facilities, «Moderna’s commitment to Spain is firm. We reaffirm that the country’s potential is unquestionable, and for this reason, we have chosen Madrid to build our facilities equipped with the latest technologies that will undoubtedly contribute to position Spain at the forefront of innovation and global medicine. In 2023 we plan to create around 80 jobs: 25 in the laboratory and 55 in the offices, which may be expanded in the coming years.”

modern has invested €22 million for the start-up of the new International Center of Analytical Excellence, which has an area of ​​1,625 square meters in the OM Infinito building. This is located in Madbit, known as Madrid’s Silicon Valley, and has facilities that meet the highest pre-certifications in both comfort and sustainability in all of Europe and America.

«The International Center of Analytical Excellence in Madrid is a key scientific investmentas we now have comprehensive manufacturing capabilities in Europe. This is crucial as we expand our manufacturing network to meet the demands of our exciting portfolio of mRNA products,” said Chantal Friebertshaeuser, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Europe, Middle East, Australia and Canada (EMEAC). » Spain It is a strategic location for Moderna, as evidenced by our collaboration agreement and investments in manufacturing, and we are pleased to increase our presence here with this cutting-edge investment”, he added. During his speech, he announced that the new center in Madrid will be In addition to the Covid-19 vaccine, it will order others that the company is already investigating, such as the flu or the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The general director of Moderna for Spain and Portugal has assured that the company’s expansion plans already included Madrid since they traveled to the capital three years ago. In this sense, he has been grateful to the Minister of Economy and Finance of the Community of Madrid, Javier Fernández-Lasquetty, whom he has defined as “a cornerstone” in carrying out this project, “managing permits and providing facilities” .

Fernández-Lasquetty, for his part, stressed that Moderna has seen Madrid as “a region where industry and innovation grow and where important things happen.” «Madrid is a place of reference for those who have a project. A place to invest, grow and expand, with low taxes and legal certainty”, she concluded.

The Minister of Health, José Miñones, who was also present at the event, celebrated the inauguration of these “leading facilities” of Moderna, which make Spain a “referent health investigation hub”. “We are the only country in Europe that is capable of producing and manufacturing mRNA products, as well as distributing them to other regions of Spain and up to 60 countries”, he stressed. Likewise, he has ensured that this technology, beyond its effectiveness demonstrated in the fight against Covid-19, “opens up a world of possibilities in areas such as cancer or rare diseases”.