Drugmaker Wockhardt has received a six-month extension of its contract with the government of the United Kingdom to “fill-finish” Covid-19 vaccines.
This expands the Mumbai-based company’s original agreement from 18 to 24 months, up to August 2022. And manufacturing will continue to be undertaken at CP Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Wockhardt based in Wrexham, North Wales, it said.
The UK plant had recently witnessed an untoward incident and had to be evacuated temporarily after a suspicious package was found on the premises.
On the extension of the vaccine contract, UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said on her visit to Mumbai, that the agreement would bring investment to the local area, besides jobs and security to the community during the pandemic.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng added that the UK was taking steps to ensure the manufacture of vaccines into 2022, “should we need to revaccinate or provide boosters to the population.”
“By extending our contract with Wockhardt, we will ensure the UK has uninterrupted fill and finish capacity, guaranteeing we have sufficient supplies to protect the British public in the long term,” Kwarteng said.