The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

The world is looking at Marburg: vaccination revolution in Germany - will the race with the virus be won here?

2021-04-02T04:55:44.282Z


Production of the Biontech vaccine begins in Marburg, Hesse. The plant could be a central point in the race against the corona virus.


Production of the Biontech vaccine begins in Marburg, Hesse.

The plant could be a central point in the race against the corona virus.

Marburg - In the race between the coronavirus * and the vaccinations, many hope for an inconspicuous building in Hessen.

Something exciting happens inside: The production of the Biontech vaccine * starts here.

250 million vaccine doses by the end of June.

Another 500 million by the end of the year.

And finally a billion cans a year, if everything runs like clockwork.

The new Biontech plant in Marburg will become the linchpin in the supply of the coveted corona vaccine.

And with 1,800 square meters, it is one of the largest production facilities of its kind in the world.

Corona vaccine: Ambitious plans - new Biontech plant is to deliver the first vaccine shortly

Around two months after the start of production, the first deliveries are to leave the factory premises in the central Hessian city these days and be brought to the factory of Biontech partner Pfizer in Belgium for sterile filling and labeling.

In the second half of April, after the final exams, the first vaccines from Marburg will land in the vaccination centers - many people are eagerly awaiting it *.

Biontech is thus sticking to the ambitious schedule that the company announced when manufacturing began at the beginning of February.

"Production really got off to a wonderful start, especially under the time pressure that you are under," says production manager Valeska Schilling happily.

"If you imagine that it would normally take a lot longer for these transfer projects, for new products in the pharmaceutical industry, that is actually unique."

Biontech dares a lot: Corona vaccine was produced before approval

Biontech took over the Marburg plant from the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis last autumn - before the Mainz-based company could even be sure that their vaccine, which was still in the clinical test phase at the time, would one day be approved in the EU, the USA or elsewhere.

This self-confident confidence has paid off because, once approved, the Biontech vaccine is one of the most sought-after products in the world.

Biontech not only took over the factory from Novartis, but also the employees.

You are now at an important point in the fight against the pandemic.

Schilling reports that the work is being approached from all sides.

"It is understandable that everyone asks you now because everyone wants to know when the situation will finally change," she says.

"The feeling of producing exactly this vaccine now is of course amazing." Each of the almost 400 employees in Marburg is aware of the special situation and works with the aim of "achieving the maximum possible".

Three out of four work steps in the production of the vaccine take place in Marburg.

It all starts with the production of the messenger molecule mRNA.

This base is cleaned, concentrated and finally put into a shell of lipids in further steps.

(Michael Bauer)

* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-04-02

You may like

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-27T16:45:54.081Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.