EMA boost for COVID-19 vaccine production

The European Medicines Agency has approved additional manufacturing capacity for two companies producing vaccines against COVID-19. The news comes as European countries continue to roll out vaccines amid rising rates of the delta variant of the virus.

The medicines watchdog, which has played a leading role in approving vaccines and inspecting manufacturing facilities, gave the green light to a site Anagni, Italy. Operated by Catalent Anagni SRL, it will perform finished product manufacturing of the Janssen vaccine (Johnson & Johnson).

The Agency says this will support continued supply of the vaccine in the EU and is effective immediately. Global supply of the vaccine has been hampered by contamination at a manufacturing site in Maryland, United States. While those doses were not intended for the EU market, it has added to strain on global supplies of the one-dose vaccine. 

Separately, the EMA also approved two additional manufacturing sites for the production of BioNTech and Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine against COVID-19. One site, located in Reinbek, Germany, is operated by Allergopharma GmbH & Co. KG. The other in Stein, Switzerland, is operated by Novartis Pharma. The sites will perform finished product manufacturing steps at different stages of the process.