The CEO of Novartis said that the company would consider building a vaccine production plant in the US. Chiron is the only major US producer of flu vaccines, and Novartis' plan to buyout Chiron could leave the US heavily reliant on foreign companies to provide flu vaccines. Novartis won approval this week to buy the 58 percent of Chiron that it does not already own. If plans are made to open a new factory, Novartis will be looking for incentives from the government such as tax breaks. Given the increased concern of a flu pandemic, Novartis is likely to face pressure from the federal government to move quickly.
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