…and opens vaccine plant in Russia

A plant for manufacturing GlaxoSmithKline's recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, Engerix B, has been opened in Moscow, Russia.

The manufacturing plant, SB-Biomed, is the result of a joint venture between GSK and local Russian partners Biomed and Immunogen.

The plant's activities include the filling of vaccine ampoules, labelling, packaging and the performance of quality controls on vaccine for the Russian market. The plant has an annual filling capacity of four million ampoules, and a packaging capacity of up to nine million doses of Engerix B.

Speaking at the official inauguration, GSK's Europe president Chris Viehbacher said, 'SB-Biomed is a modern Russian production plant, featuring the latest technologies and world-class quality control, in line with the highest world standards.'

The project involved the transfer of Belgian technologies for design, construction and validation of the plant and the training of Russian personnel and management of the unit, including QA and QC.

GSK Biologicals in Rixensart, Belgium, produces the final bulk Engerix B vaccine which is shipped to Russia before being filled in at the Russian plant. The vaccines are then labelled and packed and samples sent to the Russian state control organisation for quality testing and to obtain approval for commercialisation.