Seqirus to build £22m vaccine production facility in Liverpool
The investment includes a manufacturing facility and a new warehouse
Seqirus is to invest £22.1m to upgrade its UK manufacturing site in Liverpool where it employs 600 people.The company, which is part of Australian company CSL Limited, will develop a new £15.3m manufacturing facility at the site in Speke to support the production of influenza vaccines.
The firm has also spent a further £6.8m on a new warehousing facility at the site, which was opened today (Thursday).
Seqirus was created following CSL’s 2015 acquisition of Novartis' influenza vaccines business for US$275m, and the subsequent merger with its existing vaccines and pharmaceutical business, bioCSL. The combined company employs more than 2,000 people and has operations in more than 20 countries.
Seqirus said the two developments would pave the way for the future expansion of product manufacturing at the Speke site.
Our investment in the new formulation facility will enable us to bring a significant tranche of the influenza vaccine manufacturing process to the UK
The new formulation facility at the plant is expected to be operational by the middle of next year. Its development means that a key part of the influenza vaccine manufacturing process will be brought to the UK, having previously been outsourced to Italy.
Stephen Marlow, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Operations for Seqirus, said: 'Our investment in the new formulation facility will enable us to bring a significant tranche of the influenza vaccine manufacturing process to the UK and in-house. It gives us the ability to ensure the highest quality production standards are maintained and will also allow us to offer new career opportunities for our talented Liverpool workforce.
'It’s a sign of our commitment to the city and our confidence in Liverpool as a good place for Seqirus to house a major part of our global influenza vaccine manufacturing network.'
