New $130M lab prepares US for future pandemics
By Jared Aarons
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SAN DIEGO, California (KGTV) — A new $130 million, 64,000-square-foot lab in Sorrento Valley will be key to preparedness when, not if, the next pandemic hits the U.S.
“Pandemic preparedness is just a fancy way of saying, ‘Be ready,’” said Kate Broderick, the chief innovation officer for Maravai/TriLink BioTechnologies. “Be better ready than we were the first time around.”
The lab will specialize in making the ingredients and components for mRNA, the main part of the COVID-19 vaccines that helped end the pandemic in 2021.
Broderick and other TriLink executives said the pandemic taught drug companies important lessons about making sure the U.S. has everything it needs to respond quickly to any new disease or outbreak.
“It was eye-opening,” said Vice President and General Manager of Operations Kevin Lynch. “It started all the way at the beginning with raw materials. We had to strengthen our supply chain logistics, we had to make sure we had qualified alternatives, and we had to have capacity that was ready to go.”
The new lab is fully automated and can ramp up production in a matter of days. Lynch said it has its own reverse-osmosis water filtration system, keeping a key ingredient for mRNA always at the ready.
It also has a generator that can keep the facility running for 24 hours if the power grid goes down.
The building’s four labs are all streamlined for efficiency. Lynch said they can produce about two kilograms of mRNA every couple of weeks if needed, enough to make millions of vaccines per week—much faster than the U.S. did during the COVID vaccine rollout.
“The design of this building was absolutely critical when we think about what to do next when, not if, another pandemic comes,” Broderick said.
Recent news highlights the concern of another pandemic. The World Health Organization just declared a global health emergency over M-pox. The CDC, meanwhile, has been tracking the spread of avian flu across the U.S. It has already infected millions of birds and hundreds of cows. The CDC says it has also confirmed 13 human cases.
While neither disease has risen to the level of threat that COVID-19 reached in 2020, Broderick and Lynch said the facility is ready to help if needed. It could also be used for other medical needs.
“We shouldn’t ever underestimate any virus,” Broderick said. “And don’t forget how incredibly disruptive the COVID pandemic was. As much as we don’t want to think about it, that can happen anytime again. And we need to be prepared. That’s what this building allows us to do.”
“That’s the incredible thing about mRNA. I think many of us associate it with the COVID vaccine, and that makes sense. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – mRNA is now being tested for flu vaccines, cancer vaccines, rare diseases – you name it. There almost isn’t a disease that mRNA can’t impact.”
TriLink officials said choosing Sorrento Valley for the new facility was an easy decision. The company already has two other locations in the area, and the proximity to UC San Diego gives the company access to a highly trained, well-educated workforce.
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