Q&A: The Role of CDMOs in Vaccine Innovation

 Q&A: The Role of CDMOs in Vaccine Innovation

The accelerated development of COVID-19 vaccines and subsequent manufacturing of billions of doses would not have been possible without collaboration and partnership between many different organizations, businesses, government agencies and laboratories. Several of the entities that spearheaded this monumental effort have quickly become household names, but there are also a number of unsung forces behind the historical introduction of the first mRNA vaccines to be approved for use in the United States, not least of which are contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs). 

CDMO laboratories, once a resource for mainly small and mid-sized pharmaceutical companies to speed and scale up their production, have seen tremendous growth and increased funding over the last decade, and many quickly jumped to the task of aiding in the development and manufacturing of the first SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. The instrumental role of these partnerships in tackling the global health crisis shows how contract organizations can offer the expertise and capacity needed when pharmaceutical solutions and innovation are in high demand. 

In a recent Q&A with Labcompare Associate Editor Laura French, Betsy Baer, Senior Director of Americas Contract Organizations Business at Waters Corporation, offered an in-depth view of the capabilities of CDMOs and how they can continue to aid pharmaceutical and biotech endeavors moving forward. 

Read more on Labcompare.