Vibalogics, a global CDMO that specialises in the production of virotherapy products, has announced that it will manufacture additional clinical trial material for the lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate currently in development by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.
From its GMP accredited facility in Cuxhaven, Germany, the company is contracted to manufacture multiple batches, which will result in many thousands of doses of an investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate.
Stefan Beyer, Managing Director and CEO of Vibalogics said: "This has been a tremendous challenge for everyone at Vibalogics, but one which the entire team has embraced as an opportunity to use our experience and expertise in the global fight against COVID-19."
The CDMO has recently invested in new equipment to handle larger clinical batches including a new filling line capable of filling and labelling more than 30,000 vials per batch.
Beyer continued: "This is a fantastic opportunity for the business and our employees to strengthen our position as a global leader in virotherapy manufacturing whilst also providing a key service to our valued customer in its mission to combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus."
"This endeavour is testament to our long-standing and productive partnership with this company, who have shown great trust in our flexible approach, expertise and ability to deliver on time," Bayer enthused.
In May 2019, Vibalogics was acquired by Ampersand Capital Partners, a private equity firm specializing in growth equity investments in the healthcare sector, allowing the CDMO to further its growth strategy with plans to extend its footprint in the US.
Vibalogics is set to establish a commercial facility in North America for oncolytic viruses, viral vectors for gene therapy approaches and viral vector vaccines in the near future.