CSL opens new $33 million influenza vaccine centre

A new $33 million influenza vaccine centre was has officially opened at CSL premises in Parkville.

The Victorian government provided a grant of AUD$2.96 million to CSL to expand and upgrade its influenza vaccine facility and the innovation minister John Brumby opened the centre last week.

"The new centre will ensure CSL can produce greater amounts of influenza vaccine to fight the disease in Australia and overseas," said Brumby.

The centre's expansion has increased CSL's production capacity by two-thirds, allowing it to produce up to 40 million doses of influenza vaccine each year - sufficient to vaccinate the entire Australian population within three months in the event of an influenza pandemic.

"Protecting the public from infectious diseases, including pandemic influenza, is an essential part of the ongoing work of CSL," said CSL Pharmaceuticals' president Colin Armit.

The upgrade involved expanding and modifying the old influenza virus vaccine manufacturing facility (Morgan Laboratories) to process up to 150,000 eggs per day; the construction of a new influenza virus vaccine seed laboratory; and the modification of the flu formulation areas in the human vaccines building to enable formulation of product generated by the processing of the eggs. Eggs are the essential raw material for influenza vaccine production.

The new seed facility allows CSL to take the currently circulating 'wild' influenza strains identified by the World Health Organisation from around the world and assist in the identification of suitable vaccine components to combat these strains.

The new facility allows year-round manufacture of influenza vaccine, opening up new export markets in Europe and South East Asia. CSL has secured a long-term agreement with a major European partner to sell and distribute the product overseas.