The medicine manufacturer Catalent Inc. expands its US production of Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine out, a development that could ensure that the U.S. has sufficient supplies as it increases vaccinations.
According to Moderne, Catalent has reached an agreement with Moderna that will increase the rate of vaccine production at the Bloomington plant, Ind., To about 400 vials per minute.
Catalent will manufacture the production of the shot to one faster production line of two slower. New doses will be ready for dispatch from next month, people said, and the upgraded plant will be able to fill 80 million extra vials a year.
The expansion will help Moderna achieve its goal of delivering another 100 million doses to the US by the end of May and another 100 million doses by the end of July.
Production in the U.S. of several authorized vaccines has increased rapidly over the past few weeks as manufacturers have enlarged production lines and taken other steps to increase production.