Pharma giant Sanofi opens $595 million vaccine facility in Singapore to prepare for potential pandemics

SINGAPORE — French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi on Wednesday opened a 800 million Singapore dollar ($595 million) "evolutive vaccine facility," or EVF, in Singapore — the only such facility the company has outside of France.

This plant, known as Modulus, can switch between making different vaccines or treatments in a matter of days, compared to several weeks or months in more conventional facilities. It is also able to be adapted to manufacture up to four vaccines or biopharmaceuticals simultaneously.

The facility will contribute about 200 jobs to the city-state, including bioprocess engineers, automation specialists and data analysts, and will be fully operational by mid-2026.

Sanofi said in a release that the facility holds the potential to significantly bolster pandemic preparedness.

"By establishing the groundwork for crucial production modules now, Modulus can ensure a swift and targeted response to any future health needs, including potential pandemics," the company said.

This is part of the company's 900 million euro investment to develop two new EVFs globally over five years. The other EVF is in Neuville-sur-Saône, France.

Singapore has had several high-profile biomedical investments in 2024, with Swiss pharma firm Novartis announcing a $256 million investment in March to expand its existing manufacturing plant in the city-state.

Other major firms, such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer, followed suit, announcing investments of $1.5 billion and $1 billion, respectively, to open new plants.

The Singapore Economic Development Board says the country is home to more than 60 manufacturing facilities — including plants of seven of the world's top 10 biopharmaceutical companies, which make products ranging from active pharmaceutical