Novartis opens U.S. cell culture flu vaccine facility

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) opened a cell culture influenza vaccine and adjuvant manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, N.C. The facility, funded in part by a contract from HHS, is designed to supply 150 million doses of pandemic vaccine within six months of an influenza pandemic declaration. Novartis said the facility will be ready to respond to a pandemic as early as 2011, with full scale commercial production planned for 2013. The company also said that the plant can start producing its MF59 adjuvant as early as December. ...