SINGAPORE – Sanofi has officially launched its US $595 million state-of-the-art vaccine facility, Modulus, in Singapore.
The Modulus facility utilizes AI-powered technology, enabling it to produce up to four different vaccines or biologic drugs simultaneously.
Each production module is fully digital and can adapt rapidly to manufacture enzymes or monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), ensuring unparalleled flexibility and efficiency.
The facility can switch production lines within days, cutting timelines and bolstering pandemic preparedness.
Sanofi’s groundbreaking modular vaccine production facility is slated to be fully operational by 2026, creating approximately 200 local jobs in Singapore.
This advanced site represents Sanofi’s first “EVolutive Vaccine Facility (EVF)” outside France and forms part of the company’s €935 million (US $1 billion) investment plan for 2022-2026.
Sanofi describes Modulus as an environmentally conscious site, designed to minimize its carbon footprint and leverage renewable electricity, aligning with the company’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.
A similar EVF is under construction in Neuville-sur-Saône, France, with both facilities set to accelerate the delivery of life-saving therapies.
Sanofi Global Manufacturing and Supply Head, Brendan O’Callaghan, highlighted the strategic importance of these facilities, stating, “Modulus will enable us to rapidly develop and deliver breakthrough medicines while ensuring pandemic readiness and sustainability.”
Scaling up beyond vaccines
Beyond vaccines, Sanofi is scaling its insulin business with a US $1.4 billion investment at its Frankfurt BioCampus in Germany.
Scheduled for completion by 2029, the 36,000-square-meter facility will enhance global insulin production, supported by the German government and the Hesse state government.
The investment follows Germany’s 2023 pharma strategy, which aims to streamline approval processes and boost pharmaceutical R&D.
Sanofi Germany Chair Heidrun Irschik-Hadjieff emphasized, “This investment underscores Frankfurt BioCampus’s pivotal role in ensuring resilient global insulin supply.”
Strengthening global manufacturing
Sanofi has committed over US $1 billion to expand manufacturing capacities across France, including a US $1.1 billion monoclonal antibody production facility in Vitry-sur-Seine and capacity enhancements at Le Trait and Lyon Gerland sites.
The company also opened a fill/finish plant in Pennsylvania, USA, backed by a US $226 million contract with the US Department of Health and Human Services to support pandemic influenza vaccine production.
In parallel, Sanofi continues to achieve milestones with its innovative therapies. In July 2024, the EMA approved Dupixent (dupilumab) as the first targeted therapy for adults with uncontrolled COPD characterized by elevated eosinophils, supported by Phase III trial results.
