Meriden flu-vaccine maker Protein Sciences Corp. says it’s exploring potential expansion of production in Japan for its Flublok brand vaccine supplied to certain Asian markets.
Tokyo pharmaceutical maker IHI Corp. currently produces Flublok under license from Protein Sciences. The pair have agreed to assess the feasibility of sourcing Flublok’s active ingredients in Japan to IHI, officials said Monday.
An IHI affiliate, UMN Pharma, may be asked to produce key ingredients at its Gifu, Japan, plant for Flublok vaccine that is distributed in Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
Asia, Dan Adams, Protein Sciences’ executive chairman and global head of business development.
The Gifu plant has two 21,000-liter bioreactors – 10 times and has the capacity to add six additional bioreactors, Adams said.
“We have established a solid manufacturing base for Flublok in the United States,’’ he said in a statement. “However, we are constantly evaluating alternative sources of supply and the Gifu plant is potentially a very attractive source.”
