Modern COVID-19 vaccine ampoules are seen at Apotex Pharmaceutical as a mobile vaccination clinic at Humber River Hospital that vaccinates employees as part of the coronavirus vaccination campaign (COVID-19) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 13, 2021. REUTERS / Carlos Osorio
Moderna Inc. (MRNA.O) said on Friday that a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine doses from its European suppliers will delay deliveries to countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, but shipments to the European Union and Switzerland are on track.
The drugmaker will deliver about 650,000 doses by the end of April, not the expected 1.2 million, said Canadian Procurement Minister Anita Anand.
Moreover, one million to two million doses Modern of the 12.3 million doses scheduled for the second trimester would be delayed until the third. Read more
These birth problems further complicate the problems with European vaccines, which are already exacerbated by the rare side effects associated with AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) vaccines, with the UK advising pregnant women to receive Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. Read more
Moderna officials have identified problems with expanding the supply chain with vaccine production, which includes the drug contractor Lonza (LONN.S). The Swiss company is under pressure to start operations at three new units where it produces active ingredients for Moderna’s mRNA vaccine.
“Vaccine manufacturing is an extremely complex process and a number of elements, including human and material resources, have taken this volatility into account,” said Patricia Gauthier, executive director of Modern Canada.
A spokeswoman for Moderna in Europe said that EU and Swiss deliveries in the second quarter are still expected to fall within the expected limits, without delivering. Read more
Lonza, which also produces Modern Ingredients for US use in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has not responded to requests for feedback on arrears at its Swiss production lines.
“CRUISE SPEED”
Lonza’s chief executive, Pierre-Alain Ruffieux, said it could take months for his plants to reach “cruising speed”.
With Lonza under pressure, Moderna this week recruited Rovi (ROVI.MC) from Spain, another contract drug maker already bottling the Moderna vaccine, to build new ingredient production facilities in Granada to boost European production. Read more
Bottling, also called “filling and finishing”, remains on track at Rovi, as well as a French line that will soon be launched at Recipharm RCPHF.PK in Sweden.
Canada has distributed 2.82 million doses of Moderna vaccine since April 14 and 12.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in total.
Moderna aims to deliver 700 to 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine globally this year and more than 2 billion doses next year.
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