The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) and Dept. of Defense (DoD) announced a joint effort to increase manufacturing for vials earmarked for COVID-19-related drugs and vaccines.
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), as part of HHS, collaborated with DoD to provide funding for U.S.-based companies Corning Inc. and SiO2 Materials Science.
Under the Trump Administration’s “Operation Warp Speed,” HHS and DoD plan to scale up domestic manufacturing capacity for the vials that could be needed for vaccines and drugs in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as well as future public health emergencies, according to a news release.
BARDA is partnering with and offering $204 million to Corning in return for manufacturing capacity expansion to produce an additional 164 million Valor glass vials each year if needed. Corning will accelerate manufacturing at its facilities in Durham, N.C., Big Flats, N.Y…