(RTTNews) - German science and technology firm Merck KGaA (MKGAY.PK) announced Wednesday the launch of a new, high-purity synthetic cholesterol product, nine months ahead of schedule, to meet the high demand for lipids, a key component of mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics.
The introduction of the new SAFC synthetic cholesterol product has increased the capacity by 50 times to help bio-manufacturers bring lifesaving therapies to patients faster.
Merck manufactures lipids in Schaffhausen, Switzerland; Darmstadt, Germany; and St. Louis, Missouri, USA. This neutral lipid, used in commercially marketed products, is more than 99 percent pure, offers high batch-to-batch consistency and is scalable under commercial GMP.
Merck is one of a few companies in the world able to produce the quantities needed for lipid nanoparticle manufacturing and meet the quality requirements for mRNA therapeutics.
Merck is collaborating with more than 50 companies to support their efforts in the development and production of Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, providing custom lipids, as well as other critical raw materials, processing equipment and services used in mRNA drugs and vaccines manufacturing.
In early February 2021, the company announced the extension of its strategic partnership with BioNTech to significantly accelerate the supply of urgently needed lipids and increase the quantities to be delivered toward the end of 2021. The lipids will be used for the production of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
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