(Reuters) -Recipharm AB and Moderna Inc have finalized a deal under which the Sweden-based company will help manufacture Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine outside the United States potentially starting early next year, the companies said on Wednesday.
Recipharm last month said it had agreed to a preliminary deal with Moderna to fill and seal the packaging for the vaccine, which has recently been authorized for emergency use in the United States.
The Swedish company said it will carry out the process in its drug product manufacturing facility located in France.
“Our preparations are already well underway with the hiring of new staff and investment in the facility to enable us to meet the challenging timelines,” Recipharm’s Chief Executive Officer Thomas Eldered said.
Based on the approval of the vaccine in certain countries outside of the U.S., the supply is expected to begin in early 2021, the companies said.
(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
