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Bilthoven Biologicals granted Pandemic Preparedness Contract by European Commission

BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands, June 30, 2023 — Bilthoven Biologicals (BBio) today announced that it is one of the selected companies in Europe to be granted a pandemic preparedness contract by the European Commission. The framework agreement is aimed at pandemic preparedness including manufacturing and supply of viral vector vaccines in emergency situations in Europe.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need for coordinated action at European Union level to respond to health emergencies in the future. Although effective vaccines against COVID-19 could be developed and authorized relatively quickly during the pandemic, the available vaccine manufacturing capacities, especially in the territory of the EU, were insufficient to meet European and global demand.

Sufficient and agile manufactering

To be prepared for the future, the European Commission established the EU FAB project to ensure EU vaccine manufacturing capacities for future public health emergencies. The objective of the EU FAB project is to ensure that sufficient and agile manufacturing capacities are kept operational during the preparedness phase, which is the period between public health emergencies, to ensure that in the initial phase of a public health emergency sufficient manufacturing capacities are available. This network of “ever-warm” vaccine manufacturing facilities cover all required steps of the manufacturing process up and until batch release, all in the territory of the EU.

By reservation of the manufacturing capacity of vaccines in the EU and the creation of a priority manufacturing right, the EU FAB network secures the production of vaccines by a framework contract, the supply of vaccines will be subject to a separate procurement procedure. The contract has an initial term of four years.

Ever warm vaccine facilities

“BBio endorses the importance of having ‘ever-warm’ vaccine manufacturing capacities available in the EU for pandemic preparedness and is highly committed to fulfill its role and responsibility for Europe and global health. This contract with the European Commission will ensure significant supply of viral vector vaccine doses to address potential public health threats,” said Jef de Clercq, CEO at Bilthoven Biologicals.

BBio is a fully dedicated vaccine manufacturing company focused on providing affordable vaccines for global health. With its end-to-end vaccine manufacturing based in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, BBio has extensive experience in all aspects of vaccine manufacturing from active substance to finished product.

“Bilthoven Biologicals is proud to be in a position to be a long-term partner for the European Commission for pandemic preparedness. This is a next step in BBio’s continued contribution to public health in Europe and beyond. BBio has an unique European end-to-end vaccine manufacturing base in Bilthoven, on Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven, combined with extensive expertise to supply affordable vaccines for European and global health,” said Jorrit van Hoorn, responsible for the Corporate Development at Bilthoven Biologicals.

Long-term EU partner

BBio is a Netherlands-based end-to-end vaccine manufacturer of viral and bacterial vaccines. The company has a long-standing track record in supplying vaccines to European markets and global health partners such as UNICEF, PAHO and WHO/GAVI. With the manufacturing of polio vaccines, BBio is key contributor to the worldwide program to eradicate polio. BBio is also acting as contract manufacturer of vaccines used as cancer treatment, which is registered and supplied to the European market for the treatment of bladder cancer.

BBio is a carve-out of the former Netherlands Vaccine Institute and was acquired by Serum Institute of India in 2012 and employs a little over 500 people. BBio is covering the full vaccine manufacturing value chain with its facilities in Bilthoven on Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven.

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