Factory for vaccines and research »- Corriere.it

Washington Americans modern Ready to invest in Italy, Building a factory from scratch Which includes the manufacture of vaccines and advanced research laboratories.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company is not looking for a partnership, as was initially assumed. The idea, on the other hand, is the formation of Multifunctional pole you export to Italy The complete package of biotech knowledge that Moderna has amassed since 2011, the year I started the business.

The Minister of Economic Development, Giancarlo Giorgetti, visited the company’s headquarters on Thursday, October 21, during his recent visit to the United States. Then just confirmed Having found great interest in Italywithout adding any other details.

The company has abundant financial resources. In 2020, it received about $1 billion from the US federal government To cover research and production costs for a Covid-19 vaccine. It also raised huge capital in the stock exchange, with its listing on Nasdaq. In the semi-annual financial statements (June 2021) we read that it is possible to rely on a Business volume 4.35 billion dollars, with $3.13 billion in EBITDA, and that’s EBITDA: impressive profitability. In conclusion, there are 4.2 billion cash flow, That is, cash that has not yet been used.

Only a fraction of all this money should go to Italy. how many? There are no rumors about these numbers. But we think of a few hundred million euros. After all, only a bioreactor is necessary to prepare 100 million doses a year cost about 70 million euros.

Where can the credits slip? Stephan Bancel, CEO and a major shareholder, is looking at several options. In recent weeks, two hypotheses have emerged: the region of Anagni (Frosinone) where it is based A subsidiary of American Catalent Pharma Solutions, Who here deals with the filling of the AstraZeneca vaccine; Or Monza where you work Another American company, Thermo Fischer, Who fills in the doses of Pfizer?

Our manager can establish cooperative relationships with both company and other company, Outsourcing the final stage of vaccine production. But otherwise, the Italian project will be managed with complete independence. We will obviously start from an anti-epidemic drug, but production and research will also take care Other applications of Rna messenger technology: Tumors, immunotherapy, other viruses and rare diseases.

For Italy, it is an opportunity not only to strengthen the anti-Covid strategy, but also to obtain itIt is one of the most innovative and promising scientific and technological fields. It would also be the best way to make up for the lost ground in 2020. In May last year, Moderna was looking for an industrial side in the EU. No one came forward. Thus Cambridge entered into a ten-year agreement with Swiss Lonza.