Protein Sciences Corp. recently announced it has been granted a commercial manufacturing license to produce an influenza vaccine at its Pearl River location.
- From left, Dan Adams, executive chairman and global head of business development, Protein Sciences Corp.; Roger Scheiber, vice president of development, Rockland Business Association; U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey; Michael DiTullo, president and CEO, Rockland Economic Development Corp.,; and Mireli Fino, vice president of manufacturing operations, Protein Sciences. Photo courtesy Nita Lowey’s office
The production of Flublok, the vaccine created by Protein Sciences and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2013, is expected to require the hiring of about 70 employees at the 550-acre campus on North Middletown Road.
U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, who represents Rockland County and part of Westchester, joined Protein Sciences Executive Chairman Daniel D. Adams and Rockland County representatives to make the licensing announcement on Monday at the manufacturing facility.
Protein Sciences, based in Meriden, Conn., will exclusively produce Flublok until Jan. 16, 2025, during which time no similar products will be approved by the FDA, the company reported.
Nicole Lurie, the assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, called Flublok a “landmark in influenza vaccine history” in 2013 after it was approved by the FDA for people ages 18 to 49. Flublok is the first egg-free flu vaccine, which allows it to be produced faster and more safely, the FDA said.
