AGC Biologics Heidelberg Facility to Further Supply Plasmid DNA for COVID-19 Vaccine

AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), has announced its partnership with BioNTech SE to further supply Plasmid DNA (pDNA) starting material for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, at AGC’s Heidelberg, Germany facility.

“We are honored that BioNTech has entrusted us to become part of their global supply network in an effort to make the vaccine available to as many people as possible around the world,” says AGC Biologics Chief Business Officer, Mark Womack. “We are very proud of our efforts to provide our global customers with the essential materials needed to rapidly deliver vaccines in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.”

AGC Biologics will manufacture and supply BioNTech with pDNA starting material, an essential component of BioNTech’s mRNA-based vaccine manufacturing process.

“The team at Heidelberg is enthusiastically embracing this important project with BioNTech,” says AGC Biologics General Manager, Heidelberg, Dieter Kramer. “Every team member has a deep sense of pride in our COVID-19 teams and we look forward to supporting BioNTech in the production of their mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine with Plasmid DNA.”

AGC Biologics’ Heidelberg facility has over 20 years of experience delivering a very wide range of microbial programs for our customers. In addition, the site is AGC’s Center of Excellence for Plasmid DNA (pDNA) production, as part of their end-to-end Cell and Gene Therapy offering.

About AGC Biologics:
AGC Biologics is a leading global biopharmaceutical Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) with a strong commitment to deliver the highest standard of service as we work side-by-side with our clients and partners, every step of the way. We provide world-class development and manufacture of mammalian and microbial-based therapeutic proteins, plasmid DNA (pDNA), viral vectors and genetically engineered cells. Our global network spans the U.S., Europe and Asia, with cGMP-compliant facilities in Seattle, Washington; Boulder, Colorado; Copenhagen, Denmark; Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; and Chiba, Japan and we currently employ more than 1,700 employees worldwide. Our commitment to continuous innovation fosters the technical creativity to solve our clients’ most complex challenges, including specialization in fast-track projects and rare diseases.

About the Vaccine:
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, which is based on BioNTech proprietary mRNA technology, was developed by both BioNTech and Pfizer. BioNTech is the Marketing Authorization Holder in the European Union, and the holder of emergency use authorizations or equivalents in the United States (jointly with Pfizer), United Kingdom, Canada and other countries in advance of a planned application for full marketing authorizations in these countries.