University of Massachusetts Medical School - MassBiologics

MassBiologics

MassBiologics is the only publicly owned, non-profit FDA-licensed manufacturer of vaccine and other biologic products in the United States. Established in 1894 by the state Board of Health to produce diphtheria antitoxin, the operations of the The Biologic Laboratories (sometimes referred to as MBL, Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories, and historically as Massachusetts Public Health Biologic Laboratories and the State Vaccine and Antitoxin Laboratories) were conducted under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health until 1997. The University of Massachusetts Biologic Laboratory was re-established by the Massachusetts legislature to operate with an executive director and an advisory board consisting of leaders of the Department of Public Health and the University of Massachusetts medical programs, as well as additional members appointed by the President of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees. Although operating independently on its Jamaica Plain and Mattapan campuses in south Boston, MassBiologics is administered under the umbrella of the University of Massachusetts Medical School and its current chief executive, Dr Mark Klempner, is the Executive Vice Chancellor for MassBiologics. MassBiologics remains committed to its mission of discovery, development, investigational and commercial production of vaccine and biologic medicines (primarily monoclonal antibodies), and the clinical research underpinning their use.

MassBiologics has introduced into general use vaccines to prevent typhus, smallpox, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria and other diseases. The lab’s scientists pioneered plasma products to protect infants and toddlers from serious infectious diseases. In recent years, MassBiologics has been called upon to respond to the threat of SARS, avian flu and rabies. MassBiologics has also participated in the national effort to develop and produce “orphan products”—drugs intended for limited populations (less than 200,000 patients per year)—many of which are life-saving products for patients affected by a rare disease. Despite their importance, commercial manufacturers are often reluctant to invest the resources required to bring these products to market. MassBiologics however, has developed or collaborated on five such products over the past twenty years. Its FDA approved aseptic filling suite allows MassBiologics to fill its own products and offer this limited resource for private and public needs. MassBiologics continues to market its FDA-licensed Td (tetanus and diphtheria) vaccine, providing a substantial proportion of the U.S. requirement for this vaccine. MassBiologics participates in the discovery, production and clinical testing of monoclonal antibodies (including antibodies to Clostridium difficile)., antibodies now known as actoxumab and bezlotoxumab In 2005, MassBiologics opened an $80-million facility for monoclonal-antibody production.