Moderna and Aldevron Expand Partnership for mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutic Pipeline

Moderna and Aldevron, a provider of high-quality plasmid DNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), and recombinant proteins necessary for vaccines, gene and cell therapy, gene editing, and diagnostic applications, announced on May 24, 2021 that they have expanded their collaboration in support Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine program and additional programs in Moderna’s clinical development pipeline.

Under the expanded agreement, Aldevron will supply plasmid DNA to serve as the genetic template for generating the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and other investigational programs in Moderna’s pipeline. Production of DNA takes place in Aldevron’s 70,000-ft2 good manufacturing practice (GMP) facility in Fargo, ND. Buildout and validation of an additional 189,000 -ft2 expansion to the GMP facility on Aldevron’s campus has been completed, enabling additional manufacturing capacity.

“Aldevron has been a long-standing partner of Moderna. We appreciate their collaboration and their expertise in the biologics space,” said Juan Andres, chief Technical Operations and Quality officer of Moderna, in a company press release. “We look forward to our ongoing work with this expanded partnership.”

“Aldevron’s support of the Moderna pipeline spans nearly a decade, and we’re incredibly proud of the trust they’ve placed in us,” said Kevin Ballinger, CEO of Aldevron, in the press release. “Our deep experience, coupled with enhanced operational efficiencies and recent capacity expansion, places us in an excellent position to support Moderna’s efforts—especially during this critical time. We look forward to expanding our strategic partnership to serve a pipeline of important new programs in the future.”

Source: Moderna