The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reserved the available advanced manufacturing capability and capacities of the Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing (CIADM) at the Texas A&M University System for use in manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines, states the agency’s press release.
The task order to the CIADM includes accelerating expansion of that manufacturing capacity for potential COVID-19 vaccines. The approximately $265 million task order falls under an existing agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. The CIADM is a public-private partnership between BARDA and the Texas A&M University System with manufacturing subcontracted to FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies.
With this task order, the U.S. government has reserved the CIADM's capacity through December 2021 for U.S. government partners developing vaccines, such as Novavax, under Operation Warp Speed. The task order also enables FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies to more rapidly expand production capacity for vaccine manufacturing at the company's CIADM facilities in Texas.
"Operation Warp Speed is one of the largest vaccine manufacturing efforts in recent history," said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. "To ensure we have the needed capacity, we are engaging domestic centers for advanced manufacturing that HHS has helped build in recent years. Securing more manufacturing capacity here in America will help get a vaccine to Americans without a day wasted and prepare our nation for future emergencies."
BARDA has invested since 2012 in expanding manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., including creating three CIADMs, to boost national preparedness. The CIADMs provide significant expertise and infrastructure to develop and manufacture medical countermeasures, such as vaccines and therapeutics to respond to public health emergencies, as well as workforce training in medical countermeasure development and manufacturing. With this task order, the Texas A&M University System CIADM becomes the second to be reserved and expanded for the Operation Warp Speed effort. The first was a CIADM in Maryland.
