Sanofi Pasteur announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has licensed its new influenza vaccine manufacturing facility located in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania, which “will incorporate the latest technology in egg-based vaccine production as part of the company’s commitment to produce the largest number of doses of vaccine in the shortest time frame to address the threat of seasonal and pandemic influenza.”  Sanofi said the new , US$150 million, 140,000 square-foot (13,000 square-meter) vaccine facility is “part of its commitment to support public health and to protect individuals against both seasonal and pandemic influenza.” The new facility will produce 100 million doses when operating at full capacity. Wayne Pisano, President and CEO of sanofi Pasteur, said, “Sanofi Pasteur is assessing its capabilities to support public health efforts should the WHO and national health authorities request that influenza vaccine manufacturers start supplying vaccine to protect against the new influenza A (H1N1) virus. With the licensure of this new influenza vaccine production facility, Sanofi Pasteur now has additional flexibility to produce seasonal influenza vaccine and to respond to requests from public health authorities to develop an A (H1N1) vaccine.”

(PRNewswire-FirstCall, 6 May 2009)