A North East research centre has joined the national effort to find a vaccine for the coronavirus.
The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) - which has centres at Wilton, on Teesside, plus Darlington and Sedgefield – will support efforts by Imperial College London to develop a vaccine for the condition.
The project is one of the main parts of the Government’s Vaccine Taskforce being led by chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam.
As well as developing a potential vaccine, the group is looking at ways it could be quickly scaled-up and manufactured in large quantities.
Frank Millar, chief executive of CPI, said: “We are proud to be part of this ambitious and coordinated approach to rapidly accelerate the development, scale-up and manufacture of potential new vaccines.
“The collaboration brings together some of the brightest minds from the most innovative institutions and companies that the Ƶ has to offer and represents a significant pillar of the Ƶ’s efforts to fight back against Covid 19.”
Developing a vaccine against the coronavirus is widely seen as the best way to lift the lockdown and social distancing measures that have impacted hugely on the economy and people’s daily lives.
But experts have warned that production an effective vaccine is not easy and will not happen quickly.
The Government launched its vaccine taskforce earlier this month, initially backing projects at Imperial College and Oxford University to work on potential vaccines, with major pharmaceutical companies also involved.
Dave Tudor, managing director of CPI’s medicines manufacturing centre at Darlington, said: “CPI’s National Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Darlington is a world class facility with a highly qualified and experienced team ready to play their part in fast-tracking a vaccine solution.”
