Stevanato Group has signed a $95 million agreement to help the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) expand its U.S. manufacturing of vials for future pandemics, the Italian company announced.
The Stevanato Group’s subsidiary, OMPI of America, will be handling the manufacturing increase at its facility in Fishers, Indiana. BARDA is looking to up the production of both standard and EZ-Fill vial, proprietary Stevanato Group technology. The group will also give BARDA priority access to certain vaccine and drug development partners, when necessary, according to the company.
EZ-Fill vials are a cheaper and more efficient way to get vaccines to market, according to the company. This technology will be critically important in meeting demands in the U.S. pharma supply chain, said Franco Moro, CEO of Stevanato Group.
The agreement with BARDA is included under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion plan signed by President Joe Biden. The funding package is aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, through public health funding, individual and family assistance, and state recovery funds among other things.
“This agreement confirms our strong reputation, the importance of our primary packaging solutions, and further confirms our strategic approach in the United States to invest and broaden our product offering,” said Franco Stevanato, executive chairman of Stevanato Group.
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