Global Giants Wacker And CordenPharma Join Forces Against Future Pandemics

Wacker and CordenPharma have officially entered a pandemic-ready state effective June 1, 2024, following a successful expansion and qualification phase. Both companies are now poised in a standby mode for at least five years. In response to the initial vaccine shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, the German government strategically secured future vaccine production and supply. Companies were invited to bid for pandemic-preparedness contracts, with Wacker and CordenPharma among those awarded contracts for the production readiness of mRNA-based vaccines.

 In the event of a new pandemic, Wacker and CordenPharma are prepared to swiftly produce 80 million vaccine doses annually. They will receive compensation to maintain their production capacity and expertise on standby for at least five years. If necessary, the German government will engage the developer of the required mRNA vaccine. Wacker and CordenPharma will collaborate to manufacture the vaccine according to the highest pharmaceutical standards, predominantly within Germany and entirely within the European Union.

 Wacker's facility in Halle, Germany, will handle the production of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and the mRNA active ingredient derived from pDNA, as well as the formulation using Lipid NanoParticles (LNPs) for the mRNA. Over the past two years, Wacker has expanded its Halle site, culminating in the recent establishment of their mRNA Competence Center. As part of the consortium, CordenPharma is equipped to produce custom and standard lipids at their sites in Frankfurt, Germany, and Chenôve, France. Additionally, they will provide aseptic fill & finish and packaging services for the selected mRNA-based vaccine at their Caponago facility in Italy.

 Dr. Christian Hartel, CEO of Wacker, said “We have expanded our Halle site into a Competence Center for mRNA production. Wacker has invested over €100 million in this expansion and created over 100 highly qualified jobs. Our expertise in making mRNA and LNPs will contribute to the fight against future pandemics. Together with CordenPharma, we are proud to serve the German government in its pandemic preparedness plans.”

 Over the past two years, CordenPharma made significant investments in expanding its infrastructure. This included enhancing lipid purification capabilities through Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) and acquiring new compounding and freezing equipment. In preparation for potential pandemics, Wacker and CordenPharma also bolstered their production security and supplier network. These measures form a crucial part of their comprehensive pandemic readiness strategy across their EU sites.

 Dr. Michael Quirmbach, CEO of CordenPharma Group, commented, “Obtaining the official confirmation of pandemic readiness by the German government is a major milestone for CordenPharma. I am extremely proud of our teams across the CordenPharma sites involved in establishing and delivering our pandemic readiness plan on schedule. We are now ready, together with our partner Wacker, to manufacture end-to-end mRNA-based vaccines for the German government and other customers.