Vaccines are one of the forms of preventative care in the pharmaceutical world. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more important than ever to prevent viral infections that carry deadly side effects and spread throughout the world. Since there is no cure for diseases like COVID-19 at the moment, the only feasible plan of action is to prevent it through vaccines. Pharmaceutical companies therefore must step up to ensure that enough vaccines are made for the global population, which currently numbers at 7.9 billion.
To meet the demand, pharmaceutical companies are increasingly turning to CDMOs or contract manufacturing and development organizations. These organizations can ease the burden that falls on the shoulders of pharmaceutical companies by providing much-needed services that make manufacturing these vaccines easier to manufacture.
Companies like Samsung Biologics have prepared their facilities and offered their services to help save lives and return the world back to normal.
Partnership with Moderna
CDMO Samsung Biologics announced a deal with vaccine producer Moderna, a biotech company that developed an mRNA vaccine to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, in May 2021. Moderna has one of the rare Emergency Use Authorized mRNA vaccines that have been proven to work in preventing the deadly virus and eliminating some of the more fatal side effects in breakthrough cases. This vaccine has already been used around the world. Studies have even found that the Moderna vaccine is more effective against the deadly COVID-19 Delta variant that has caused havoc in many countries.
Samsung Biologics currently provides large-scale, commercial fill-finish manufacturing for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273.
“This vaccine is paramount to people around the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and we truly appreciate our client Moderna for entrusting and choosing to partner with Samsung Biologics for the fill and finish of this important vaccine,” said John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics. “Due to the high level of urgency in supplying the vaccine to the global population, we have set immediate action plans and schedules to make mRNA-1273 available for commercial distribution in the early second half of 2021.”
CDMOs like Samsung Biologics offer crucial services to companies like Moderna during a time where vaccines literally save lives. They streamline the production process and duplicate the formula for vaccines, allowing patients to take advantage of a quality product that was produced in a high-quality environment.
What is the mRNA vaccine?
The mRNA vaccine technology is one of the newest developments in the medical world that can help prevent people from contracting contagious viruses like COVID-19. It has been proven effective against the virus, offering preventative treatment and lessening the effects of any breakthrough cases. According to the United States Center for Disease Control, (CDC), Messenger RNA vaccines trigger an immune response by teaching cells to make a protein. The immune response creates antibodies to prevent the human body from getting infected by the virus.
Previously, mRNA had been used against other viral diseases with great success. Studied before in relation to the flu, the Zika virus, rabies, and cytomegalovirus (CMV), and in the future, mRNA vaccines might be able to provide protection against multiple viruses and diseases, instead of just one. Cancer research has also trained mRNA to trigger the immune system to target and fight against cancer cells.
New mRNA facilities added
Samsung Biologics continues to add more to its capabilities to meet the rising demands for the COVID-19 vaccine. The company recently announced that by the first half of 2022, they’ll be adding mRNA vaccine production capabilities to their service offerings at their Songdo facility.
John Rim, CEO of Samsung Biologics, said, “We are committed to helping our clients provide quality treatments and vaccines to all those in need around the world, especially in difficult times like this, and with this extended capability, we hope to support our partners in bringing novel mRNA vaccines and therapeutics to market at a faster pace.”
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
