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President Gitanas Nausėda says the company will further expand the production and supply of reagents to companies around the world that produce new types of vaccines.
“Lithuania-based company Thermo Fisher Scientific began manufacturing and supplying components for coronavirus testing in March last year and is now directly involved in the COVID-19 vaccine production chain. … The new unit will expand even more the production and supply of reagents to companies that produce new types of vaccines based on RNA technology, ”said G. Nausėda at the virtual event to inaugurate the new building.
“It is also important that the components of the vaccines manufactured in Lithuania are subsequently returned to Lithuania in the form of vaccines, so that production in our country indirectly brings us closer to victory against the coronavirus pandemic,” he added.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė emphasized that the new production building also opens up new opportunities.
“A production process based on the latest scientific advances, increased reagent production rates, as well as the acceleration of the vaccine production process, will allow us to hope that we will all be able to meet the challenges we now face before,” said. .
The Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė stated that the development of Thermo Fisher Scientific means more opportunities for Lithuania, first and foremost: increasing higher value-added investments, creating higher paying jobs and implementing faster economic growth and glorifying Lithuania.
“This is a reminder to us, our government, and personally to me, that we must also do our homework to maintain existing talent and attract new ones, to develop the right infrastructure so that the search for Thermo Fisher Scientific and other talents is fruitful. . “he said at the event. A. Armonaitė.
Algimantas Markauskas, CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics, says its construction would normally have taken two years, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, it lasted only four months. According to him, the investment in the new building amounted to 40 million. euros.
“These experiences and lessons that we had during the project could be used and when we return to normal mode, it would be possible to adapt these things to the new reality and work even faster and more smoothly than before the pandemic,” said A. Markauskas.
5.5 thousand kv. The building will produce more reagents for companies developing vaccines and therapies, including COVID-19 vaccines.
A. Markauskas did not specify what the production capacities will be, but hinted that they are being used quickly and plans to increase them in the future.
“Capacity is a conditional thing, the demand for these products is really high, the capacity is running out, we plan to further expand the production of these products in Vilnius,” said A. Markauskas in response to the question from BNS.
It also did not reveal whether the components made in Vilnius are used for the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines.
“Cooperation agreements with clients are a trade secret, we work with the vast majority of vaccine manufacturers that are dedicated to RNA vaccines and not only covide but also for the treatment of oncological diseases”, said A. Markauskas.
According to him, Thermo Fisher Scientific appears to provide “building blocks and tools” for the vaccine.
“Researchers at a pharmaceutical company create a DNA molecule that encodes the necessary information that scientists have created to use as the basis for a vaccine, and then our components create an RNA molecule that, when cleaned and formulated, becomes in a vaccine, “he said. .
Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics began producing reagents for COVID-19 testing last spring.
The new building created almost 150 new jobs. The company employs a total of 1.3 thousand people. persons.
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