Novartis wins $220M flu vaccine contract

Novartis has won a $220 million contract to supply cell culture-derived flu vaccine to the Department of Health and Human Services. The deal will help support seasonal flu programs as well as preparation efforts for a possible bird flu pandemic and the biopharma giant announced plans to create a new manufacturing site in the country using a biotech process to make vaccines. "We will be investing additional resources in highly skilled researchers to set up one of the first flu cell culture manufacturing sites in the US. This plant will contribute to America's vaccine infrastructure for seasonal flu and support the US government's ability to respond quickly to a potential pandemic, with access to new technologies to ensure sufficient capacity," said Novartis CEO Dr. Daniel Vasella.

- read the release [1] on the contract

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