Novartis inked an agreement that could see production of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine move from its facility in Switzerland to its fill-finish plant in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Under the initial agreement, Novartis would get bulk mRNA active ingredients from BioNTech, fill them in sterile vials and return them for distribution. The company estimates it would produce about 24 million doses at the site in 2022.
Upon final signoff on the agreement, Novartis plans to move the manufacturing of the vaccine from its facility in Stein, Switzerland, to Ljubljana in the first half of next year. That site currently produces products for Novartis’ subsidiary Sandoz.
