Hilleman Laboratories, an organisation with a mission to develop affordable vaccines and biologics against infectious diseases, announced a first-of-its-kind vaccine and biologics development and manufacturing hub in Singapore.

Established with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the hub comprises a 30,000 square foot current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facility at 138 Depot Road and a state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) facility at Biopolis which began operations in April 2021. Hilleman Laboratories is investing close to SGD 80 million (USD 58 million) in operations, infrastructure and capacity building over the next five years.

The cGMP facility will supply clinical trial materials for the development of vaccines and biologics up to Phase II stage and is expected to be fully operational by early 2023. The R&D facility at Biopolis focuses on early product development of vaccines and biologics, including candidate selection, design, early manufacturing process development and preclinical studies.

This unique set-up by Hilleman Laboratories enables the two facilities working in tandem to provide end-to-end product development solutions from concept to cGMP and Phase II clinical using innovative technology platforms to develop affordable, high-value vaccines and biologics for Singapore as well as low- and middle-income countries.

The support from EDB will enable Hilleman Laboratories to expand its product development pipeline and harness Singapore’s local network and talent to fast-track the development of novel solutions to tackle the high disease burden of preventable diseases in developing countries. It will also provide Singapore with unique capabilities in vaccine and biologics development and manufacturing that will meet national needs during future pandemics. 

Hilleman Laboratories plans to leverage the local ecosystem in hiring up to 50 scientists, engineers, and managers in Singapore, offering training and career development opportunities, and equipping them with the skills and expertise necessary to strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in the development of vaccines and biologics in compliance with global regulatory and quality standards.