Lonza CEO says on pace to make Moderna trial vaccine in June/July: CNBC

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Swiss pharmaceutical group Lonza is seen at its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland March 2, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH (Reuters) – Contract drug manufacturer Lonza still expects to supply drugmaker Moderna with active ingredients for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine by June or July to support laboratory trials, the Swiss company’s interim CEO, Albert Baehny, told CNBC on Wednesday.

By December, Baehny said in an interview, Lonza should be able to make large volumes of vaccine in North America, provided the trials prove promising. His comments to CNBC follow Lonza’s and Moderna’s May 1 announcement of a 10-year collaboration agreement aimed at making up to a billion doses per year, if the drug passes safety and effectiveness hurdles.