Moderna, Inc. today announced the appointment of Emma Harrington as the inaugural manufacturing site head for the company’s new mRNA vaccine manufacturing site in the Monash Technology Precinct in Melbourne, Australia, effective February 2024.
Harrington is a distinguished leader within Moderna and will relocate from Moderna’s manufacturing headquarters in Norwood, MA, to Australia to lead operations for the facility, which is on track for completion towards the end of 2024.
Harrington will be responsible for the planning, implementation, execution, and maintenance of manufacturing operations at the Melbourne site and ensure products meet the highest quality standards, Good Manufacturing Practice compliance requirements and regulatory guidelines.
“In September 2023, we marked the mid-way construction point for this important new facility, which is on track for completion by the end of the year. We look forward to welcoming Harrington who will bring deep mRNA manufacturing expertise to our shores and ensure the facility runs to the highest standard when it is operational,” said Michael Azrak, Moderna’s general manager Australia & New Zealand.
The facility will be the largest commercial scale mRNA vaccine facility in the Southern Hemisphere. It will have the capacity to supply up to 100 million mRNA vaccines in a pandemic environment, and will produce seasonal vaccines for respiratory conditions such as COVID-19 and RSV.
This major investment is a testament to Moderna’s commitment to supporting vaccine sovereign capability in Australia. Harrington joined Moderna in 2020 and has since served as vice president of Quality at Moderna, overseeing Drug Substance manufacturing in Norwood, and as vice president of Global Drug Product Quality.
Her prior experience includes several pivotal roles at Novartis, including Head of Novartis Country Quality for the US and executive director of quality at Sandoz US.
Harrington began her career as a formulation scientist at Elan Pharmaceuticals after earning a BSc in Biotechnology from Dublin City University, Ireland.
Harrington said, “I am fully committed to ensuring that our site in Melbourne not only meets but exceeds the high standards of operational excellence that Moderna is known for globally. We will strive for efficiency, sustainability, and agility in our processes to respond to the dynamic needs of the healthcare sector. I am really excited about living in Melbourne and working with the fantastic team here.”