Merck and The Jenner Institute Achieve First Milestone in Large-Scale Production of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 COVID-19 Vaccine

- The recently developed production platform supports large-scale manufacturing

- Joint team reduces process development time from one year to two months—a critical step toward large-scale production of the COVID-19 vaccine

- Udit Batra, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA and CEO of the Life Science business, stated, “We have brought the future of vaccine production into the present.”

Darmstadt, Germany, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading technology company Merck KGaA andThe Jenner Institute) Announced today that the Jenner Institute is fully prepared for large-scale production of its Covid-19 candidate vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19.

This vaccine has already recruited patients for clinical trials; therefore, the rapid development of large-scale manufacturing processes is a critical step to safely and swiftly translate the vaccine from the laboratory to patient use.

Udit Batra, Member of the Executive Board of Merck KGaA and CEO of the Life Science business, stated, “We have brought the future of vaccine production into the present. This is a significant step in treating COVID-19 and other diseases that impact global public health security. As clinical trials continue to advance, this work has become a milestone in the development of vaccine manufacturing.”

Merck’s prior work provided a solid foundation for scaling up production of the Jenner Institute’s COVID-19 vaccine candidates. While process development typically requires at least six months to a year, Merck supported the Jenner Institute team and its collaborators in conducting a feasibility assessment of existing platforms for new candidate vaccine production and optimizing key process steps—all within just two months.

Over the past two years, Merck KGaA has collaborated with the Jenner Institute to develop a rapid, scalable adenovirus platform that complies with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards and utilizes single-use technologies. Although initially developed for a rabies vaccine candidate, this platform has subsequently been validated with various adenoviral vectors to accelerate future vaccine development and production. Speed is a major challenge when responding to emerging outbreaks such as the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The two parties first announced their collaboration in April 2018, aiming to develop more robust and scalable vaccine manufacturing processes.

Dr. Sandy Douglas, who leads the scale-up production project at the Jenner Institute, stated: “Within an unprecedentedly short timeframe, the Jenner Institute team developed a 10-liter production-scale process based on a platform previously established in collaboration with Merck, thereby laying the groundwork for our next phase of production scale-up efforts. Industry partnerships such as our collaboration with Merck are of significant importance, as they accelerate our response to pandemics and epidemics, enabling the rapid provision of life-saving vaccines for the benefit of the global population.”

Introduction to the Jenner Institute

The Jenner Institute was established in November 2005 with the aim of developing innovative vaccines against major global diseases. The Jenner Institute is unique in its focus on diseases affecting both humans and livestock, conducting parallel testing of new vaccine candidates across different species. Its primary focus is translational medicine, involving the rapid early-stage development and evaluation of new vaccines in clinical trials.

The Jenner Institute comprises more than 30Jenner ResearchersIn conducting research activities, they lead research teams involved in the development of human and veterinary vaccines. The institute’s researchers jointly carry out one of the largest non-profit industry R&D initiatives in the field of vaccinology.

Supported by numerous funders, Jenner Institute researchers are developing novel vaccine candidates for major global infectious diseases. New vaccines against malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS are currently undergoing field trials in developing countries. Research on livestock vaccines is also underway for foot-and-mouth disease, avian influenza, bovine tuberculosis, and other major diseases causing economic losses.

The Jenner Institute isUniversity of OxfordandThe Pirbright Institutethe collaborative achievements between them, is the successor to the former Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research. The institute was established by a charity registered in the United KingdomJenner Vaccine Foundation) provides support, and byJenner Institute Scientific Advisory Board) Provide consulting services.

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Merck Overview
Merck is a leading science and technology company focused on three key areas: healthcare, life science, and performance materials. Approximately 57,000 employees worldwide work at Merck, striving to create sustainable and enjoyable ways of living while improving the daily lives of millions of people. From advancing gene-editing technologies and discovering unique approaches to treating the most challenging diseases, to supporting smart devices, Merck is present everywhere. In 2019, Merck generated sales of €16.2 billion across 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible business practices are key to Merck’s technological advancement. This has also been the driving force behind Merck’s continuous development since its founding in 1668. The founding family still holds the majority of shares in the publicly listed company. Merck owns the name and brand “Merck” globally, with the only exceptions being the United States and Canada, where Merck operates its healthcare business under EMD Serono, its life science business under MilliporeSigma, and its performance materials business under EMD Performance Materials.

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