Teesside-manufactured Novavax Covid vaccine to be 'bottled up' in Durham, if approved
The Prime Minster's announcement on Monday (29 March)
The final manufacturing stage of the Novavax coronavirus vaccine, which would be made on Teesside if approved, will take place in Durham.
If approved, Novavax will become the fourth Covid-19 vaccine available for use in the UK. Trials have shown it to be 89% effective in preventing coronavirus.
It was announced in January that the protein antigen component of the jab is to be produced by Fujifilm at its Billingham facility on Teesside.
The UK has secured 60 million doses of the vaccine, which is believed to offer protection against the newer UK and South African variants of coronavirus.
It has now been announced that the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) will provide 'fill and finish' manufacturing capacity at its Barnard Castle facility in County Durham.
This could begin as early as May 2021.
'Fill and finish'
Fill and finish is the completion stage of vaccine manufacturing, preparing vials of the final vaccine and packaging them for distribution and use.
GSK says its site at Barnard Castle is a specialised facility in GSK’s global manufacturing network, which supports production of pharmaceutical and vaccine products.
The UK has secured 60 million doses of the vaccine, which is believed to offer protection against the new UK and South African variants.
Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “This is terrific news for County Durham and means the North East will be playing a crucial role in the largest vaccination programme in our history.
“This is an important deal which will help the UK become more self-sufficient by manufacturing extra vaccine doses on our shores.
“I urge everybody who is eligible for a vaccine to come forward as soon as possible to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
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