Responding to a Threat
In 2012, three Centers were established across the United States to provide fast, flexible access to the vaccines necessary to stop a pandemic in its tracks. These Centers were created in response to the growing threat a pandemic would pose to the safety and security of the United States as well as recognizing that the vast majority of the world’s vaccines are produced overseas. Overseen by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), these Centers are tasked with reliably and nimbly producing medical counter-measures to combat infectious disease and other chemical or radiological threats.
Rapid Response Requirements
The Texas A&M Center for Innovation in Advanced Development & Manufacturing (CIADM) involved design and construction of three major facilities:
- Renovation to the existing National Center for Therapeutics Manufacturing to add reverse-osmosis/deionized (RODI) water and water for injection (WFI) systems, add space for buffer and media preparation, and incorporate eight new mobile cleanroom laboratory suites.
- Construction of a new 116,000 square foot Pandemic Influenza Facility. This facility uses state of the art disposable process technology to produce 50 million doses of pandemic response vaccine within 12 weeks of receipt of the target virus strain.
- Construction of a new 77,000 square foot Live Virus Vaccine Facility. This facility houses a series of mobile cleanroom laboratory units to manufacture small batches of a wide variety medical countermeasures on an as needed basis. The facility can process agents classified up to biological safety level 3 (BSL-3).
Critical System Design
EEA provided mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and clean utility engineering services to support the successful execution of the CIADM’s mandate. Mechanical systems were designed to provide biocontainment of BSL-2 manufacturing and BSL-3 laboratory spaces. Clean utility systems included RODI, WFI, pure steam, process gasses, and biological waste decontamination.
