Novartis Dedicates Vaccine Production Facility

Novartis dedicated its $1 billion vaccine production facility in December of 2011 in Holly Springs, N.C.  Sited on 167 acres, the 430,000-sf project includes six buildings providing laboratory, manufacturing, and office space. Production of a pre-pandemic H5N1 flu vaccine has already begun. Utilizing cell-based vaccine manufacturing technology, the facility will be able to supply up to 25 percent of the doses needed in the United States in the event of an emergency. The complex will house up to 500 employees when full-scale commercial production begins in early 2013. The project was supported by $487 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.