From Singapore to the world: Sanofi's new plant eyes global vaccine challenges

Source: Sanofi.

The facility, situated in Tuas Biomedical Park, marks a significant step toward enhancing vaccine manufacturing capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, and is part of Sanofi's €900m ($948m) investment to establish two new EVFs worldwide over the next five years. The second facility is located in Neuville-sur-Saône, France.

The “evolutive vaccine facility” (EVF), dubbed Modulus, is Sanofi’s first outside France, highlighting the company's commitment to advancing vaccine technology worldwide, and is expected to bolster global vaccine supply chains, further strengthening public-health preparedness in the region and beyond.

It is designed to produce multiple types of vaccines, leveraging advanced modular technology that allows for quick adaptation to produce different vaccine types in response to pandemics or other urgent healthcare needs.

Another key feature of the facility is its flexibility to produce up to four different vaccines or biopharmaceuticals simultaneously. This capability makes Modulus a vital resource for combating multiple infectious diseases at once, ensuring a steady supply of critical vaccines during times of heightened demand.

Modulus: Flexible manufacturing

By combining state-of-the-art technology with strategic location advantages, the EVF sets a new benchmark in vaccine manufacturing, positioning itself as a cornerstone in the global fight against future pandemics, Sanofi’s executive vice president for manufacturing and supply, Brendan O’Callaghan said.

Modulus's key advantage over traditional vaccine and biotherapeutics plants is its ability to rapidly scale production up or down with significantly greater speed, according to O’Callaghan.

He emphasised Modulus can work with authorities to provide capacity flexibly, despite not currently reserving capacity specifically for such emergencies.