SCHUMER ANNOUNCES CORNING INC. TAPPED BY FEDS FOR CRITICAL ROLE IN CORONAVIRUS VACCINE DEVELOPMENT, BRINGING $204 MILLION & DOUBLING EMPLOYMENT AT HORSEHEADS FACILITY FOR ACCELERATED PRODUCTION OF VALOR® GLASS VIALS
In CARES Act Negotiations, Schumer Increased BARDA Budget To $7.1B; Now, Corning’s Getting $204M & Doubling Employment To Produce Valor Glass For Potential Lifesaving Vaccine
Schumer Announces $204M For Corning To Substantially Expand Manufacturing Capacity And Meet Growing Demand For Fast Vaccine Production and Secure Distribution
Schumer: Federal Investment Is A Win-Win – A Shot-In-The-Arm For Southern Tier Economy & The Nation’s Pandemic Recovery
A long-time supporter of Corning-based Corning Incorporated, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced Corning is receiving $204 million in federal funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through its partnership with the Department of Defense’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense and Army Contracting Command.
The federal investment will significantly expand Corning’s production of Valor® Glass vials that will be used for the rapid production and secure delivery of an upcoming coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine and other critical drugs. Schumer explained that Corning’s Valor Glass is technologically engineered to resist damage and breakage and prevent cracks. It also includes a revolutionary coating that enables vials to speed through pharmaceutical filling lines. These attributes make Valor Glass ideal both for the rapid production and secure transport of much-needed COVID-19 vaccines and therapies, according to Corning.
Schumer also revealed the federal investment would lead to doubling the employment at Corning’s Horsehead facility, jumpstarting the Southern Tier economy after the devastating financial impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.
“Innovation plus federal investment in science equals jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Senator Schumer a longtime champion of both Corning and federal investment in science-rooted agencies like BARDA.
“As COVID-19 vaccines enter clinical trials with an eye toward world-wide distribution, this vital federal funding that I worked so hard to secure in the coronavirus relief bills will jumpstart the production of Corning’s unique and wonderful Valor Glass, create 94 new jobs, and provide a huge shot in the arm for the Southern Tier economy just when it is needed the most,” said Senator Schumer. “Corning’s innovative Valor Glass vials will enable the rapid manufacture and secure delivery of a COVID-19 vaccine that will help New Yorkers and the rest of the nation confront and defeat the coronavirus. This federal investment into Corning is a win-win for the entire Southern Tier economy and the billions of people across the United States and world waiting for a vaccine.”
Wendell P. Weeks, Corning Incorporated’s chairman and chief executive officer said, “We’re delighted that BARDA has selected Corning as a packaging provider for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Our Valor Glass provides the strongest, fastest to fill, and highest-quality pharmaceutical glass vials ever produced. It helps protect patients and addresses existing bottlenecks. Corning is ready to do our part in the fight against the pandemic as well as to help prepare for future public health emergencies.”
“Valor Glass sets a new standard for quality and performance in pharmaceutical packaging. It is purpose-built for pharmaceuticals and is uniquely positioned to enable faster, more reliable drug manufacture and delivery – attributes that are critical to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic response,” said Brendan Mosher, vice president and general manager, Corning Pharmaceutical Technologies.
Corning will seek to fill 60 permanent manufacturing positions immediately, with 34 more positions opening up as funding is released. In addition to increasing production at its Horsehead facility, Corning will be scaling up manufacturing at its Durham, North Carolina and Vineland, New Jersey facilities.
Schumer has long been an advocate for ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place to protect Americans during public health emergencies. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shown just how vulnerable we really are. The rapid production of vaccines and drugs, and their secure delivery to the United States and global communities, both of which Corning’s Valor Glass will support, will translate into more lives protected and ultimately saved at this critical time.
Schumer has championed BARDA and its critical role in supporting development of the medical countermeasures needed to effectively respond to public health crises, since the Agency’s inception in 2006. Most recently, he secured over $5.5 billion for BARDA to respond to COVID-19 through the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (CARES Act).
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