The United States-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology firm Moderna said it would be opening its shared service facility (SSF) for pharmacovigilance and commercial office in Manila this September.
In a virtual meeting on Wednesday, Senior Vice President and General Manager Patrick Bergstedt said the firm is eager to complete its investment commitments in the country.
“We plan to have this facility up and running before the end of the third quarter, so by September of 2023. This will be a facility staffed by Filipinos,” he said.
Meanwhile, in an interview with another media outlet, Bergstedt said the Moderna office in Manila will have 40 to 50 staff by the end of 2022.
He added that they are targeting to employ 200 staff soon, modeling after its facility in Poland.
Bergstedt and Moderna's Chief Commercial Officer Arpa Garay first bared the plan to establish the vaccine-making facility in Manila during their meeting with President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. at Blair House in Washington DC, United States last May 3.
The planned SSF will serve the entire Asia Pacific region.