AUSTIN, Texas — A bio-manufacturing center at Texas A&M University has been tapped to mass produce a COVID-19 vaccine.

What You Need To Know

  • TAMU Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing has a $265 million federal contract to mass-manufacture doses of a vaccine candidate being developed by Novavax.

  • It’s one of six candidates the federal government has put billions of dollars behind as part of its Operation Warp Speed.

  • Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp says that could happen starting in early 2021. 

The Texas A&M University System Center for Innovation in Advanced Development and Manufacturing has a $265 million federal contract to mass-manufacture doses of a vaccine candidate being developed by Novavax. It’s one of six candidates the federal government has put billions of dollars behind as part of its Operation Warp Speed.

The facility in College Station is owned and operated by Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies.

“Once the vaccine is approved, then the contract shifts to Texas A&M and Fuji, our subcontracting partner, and we’ll do the hundreds of millions of vaccines that need to be produced,” Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said.

Chancellor Sharp says that could happen starting in early 2021. He also noted that if the Novavax vaccine is not approved, they would likely be tapped to transition to a successful vaccine.

Sharp says the center has the capacity to produce 100 million doses.

In an interview on Capital Tonight Tuesday, Sharp also discussed the system’s plan for reopening campus’ in the fall and the return of college football.