Wacker to Begin Building mRNA Actives Competence Center

Wacker Group, who run its biopharma projects via the contract manufacturer Wacker Biotech, will be expanding its Halle (Germany) site in the coming months into a competence center for actives based on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). Four new production lines are expected to be built, which will produce mRNA vaccines for customers; the company is investing more than $101 million into this project.

The expansion is anticipated to more than triple WACKER’s production capacity at the Halle site. There are plans for a new building with four floors, which is to be connected to the existing building. Alongside the aforementioned four mRNA production lines, the new building will contain storage areas and quality control laboratories, along with office space and recreation rooms. It is expected to be production ready by 2024.

Groundbreaking ceremony in Halle

And as previously announced in April, part of the new capacity will be available to the German federal government as and when required as part of its pandemic preparedness contracts. Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister for Economic Affairs Sven Schulze, and Prof. Armin Willingmann, Saxony-Anhalt’s minister for science, energy, climate protection, and environment, were also at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“With this expansion into a competence center for mRNA actives, Wacker is bringing a technology of the future to Halle,” says Melanie Käsmarker, managing director of Wacker Biotech GmbH in Halle. “mRNA actives are not only used as vaccines—for example to protect against coronavirus—but the mRNA technology also allows completely new treatment options, such as in cancer therapy. We see a lot of potential here, and going forward, want to serve the increasing demand for mRNA actives from Halle.”