The expansion of British drugmaker GSK’s facility in Tuas has earned the title of Singapore’s largest vaccine production site based on a cumulative investment of some $850 million, said Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong.
Speaking as the guest of honour at the facility’s breaking-ground ceremony on Thursday, Mr Gan said this comes after an additional investment of more than $300 million.
Part of the investment included GSK transferring its next-generation process for the hepatitis B vaccine to the Tuas site – an advancement which will further bolster Singapore’s position as a hub for innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry, said the minister.
This technology will provide greater flexibility for GSK’s existing manufacturing process and enable rapid large-scale vaccine production. The vaccine will be manufactured using single-use bags, which Mr Gan highlighted as a novel technology within the vaccine production space. “The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly shown the importance of preparedness in effectively responding to emergent threats,” said Mr Gan.