Government declines to reveal cost of ‘sensitive’ Moderna deal

US company to cover cost of manufacturing centre but questions remain about British government investment

The UK government has refused to reveal how much it has spent on a 10-year deal with the US pharmaceutical company Moderna—despite growing public interest in the UK’s vaccine manufacturing capability.

Agreed in December, the £1 billion deal includes plans for a vaccine research and manufacturing facility with the capacity to produce up to 250 million vaccines a year, with the first due to be made in 2025. The company has also committed to funding PhD places and university research programmes.