Delhi-based vaccine research group Hilleman Laboratories has begun construction of a Singapore manufacturing facility to distribute lower-cost jabs to Southeast Asia.
Hilleman – a joint venture between US drugmaker Merck & Co and the UK charitable foundation Wellcome Trust – said the plant would be part of a S$80 million ($58 million) development and manufacturing programme in the city-state.
The hub will provide product development to support production of “affordable, high-value vaccines and biologics for Singapore as well as low- and middle-income countries”.
The plant will supply clinical trial materials and has been designed to pivot to manufacture vaccines for Singapore’s use during pandemics.
“This is a major milestone for Hilleman Laboratories as we embark on our next phase of growth,” chief executive Raman Rao said.
“We are also committed to supporting the enhancement of local capabilities in vaccines and biologics development to shore up Singapore’s defences against disease outbreaks, particularly those with pandemic potential,” he added.
The venture plans to hire up to 50 scientists, engineers and managers locally, in addition to its current staff.
“Hilleman Laboratories’ new facility is … in line with our efforts to strengthen capabilities across the biopharmaceutical manufacturing value chain,” Goh Wan Yee, senior vice-president at the Singapore Economic Development Board, said.
- George Russell
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