Pharmaceutical packaging provider Stevanato Group has signed a supply agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to help deliver glass vials which can hold effective Covid-19 vaccines.
Glass vials
Stevanato Group has agreed to supply 100 million Type 1 Borosilicate glass vials to hold up to 2 billion doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. The partnership comes as part of CEPI’s efforts to speed up the vaccine development timeline, which includes manufacturing capacity alongside the clinical development of Covid-19 candidate vaccines.
Once a vaccine for Covid-19 is found to be effective, it will have to be moved into the manufacturing phase. A crucial element comes from a needed supply of medical-grade glass vials to deliver the billions of doses of vaccines needed to fight Covid-19.
CEPI has so far invested up to $829 million in nine Covid-19 vaccine candidates, with an ultimate goal to develop a successful vaccine in an accelerated 12-18 month timeline.
Stevanato Group typically produces 10 billion units every year, alongside other pharmaceutical products, making it a key supplier to CEPI’s Covid-19 vaccine programmes.
Stevanato Group’s glass vials will be able to store 20 doses per vial, and Stevanato Group will also grant a "fast track" access to its glass vial forming lines provided by its company Spami.
Franco Stevanato, Stevanato Group CEO, said: “Since the pandemic outbreak, we have activated a taskforce acting on two fronts. On one side, we have been implementing all the health and safety measures to protect our staff in all our global operations, and we have been supporting with donations the unprecedented effort of the hospital staff in a multitude of healthcare structures. On the other hand, we have proactively increased our global capacity to sustain the industry’s scale-up industrialisation need. We are proud to support CEPI in this important project. We share the same deep sense of responsibility and commitment to achieving our industry goal of successfully addressing this public health challenge, ensuring no patient is left behind.”
Dr Richard Hatchett, CEPI CEO, commented: “In addition to accelerating the development of Covid-19 vaccine candidates, CEPI is working with partners around the world to begin the manufacture of millions of vaccine doses so that, should a candidate be proven to be safe and effective, it will be available to those in need without delay.