Posted: 19 September 2023
Thanks to the Andrews Labor Government, Victorians are one step closer to locally manufactured mRNA vaccines and medicines, with construction of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility reaching the halfway mark, ahead of schedule.
Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll today visited Clayton to celebrate the achievement of this significant construction milestone for the facility, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
On schedule for completion in 2024, Moderna’s Manufacturing Facility will have the capacity to produce 100 million vaccine doses per year for respiratory diseases. Moderna plans to manufacture a range of mRNA vaccines at the facility from their pipeline for respiratory health conditions including influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and COVID-19.
The construction phase has created up to 500 jobs and up to 500 additional advanced manufacturing jobs will be created once the facility is operational.
The Manufacturing Facility is a key component of Moderna’s strategic investment into Australia, complemented by the recent opening of Moderna’s Regional Research Centre for Respiratory Medicines and Tropical Disease and Moderna Headquarters for Australia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and Oceania in Victoria.
Moderna is also forming partnerships with Victoria’s world-leading medical research institutes and clinical trial networks, allowing Victorians to be among the first people in the world to trial new mRNA medicines for a range of health conditions.
The Labor Government invested $12.3 million in the Victorian Budget 2023/24 to develop mRNA technology and builds on the $1.3 billion investment in medical research since 2014.
Victoria is responsible for almost 60 per cent of Australia’s pharmaceutical exports – making it our highest-value advanced manufacturing export – and the biotech sector supports more than 100,000 full-time jobs.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll
“Moderna’s mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Facility making its home in Victoria sends a strong signal to the world that we are global leaders in mRNA research and development. The facility is is currently Australia’s largest advanced manufacturing project.”
“Today marks another important milestone in Victoria’s partnership with the Commonwealth Government and Moderna, as we look to build Australia’s mRNA industry, manufacture vaccines locally, create jobs and change lives for decades to come.”
Quote attributable to Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos
“When these businesses decide to set up operations in Victoria it’s a great for our state and the local community, up to 500 jobs during the construction phase and up to 500 more once fully operational, is a fantastic result.”
Quote attributable to Moderna Australia & New Zealand General Manager Michael Azrak
“We’re thrilled by the rapid progress we’ve made in constructing our first large-scale mRNA manufacturing facility for Australia, bringing us one step closer to its completion in the second half of 2024. This milestone underscores Moderna’s unwavering commitment to providing Australians with timely access to pandemic response capabilities and the vital capacity to manufacture groundbreaking mRNA vaccines for seasonal respiratory and emerging viruses.”
