Challenges in Moving Pharmaceutical Manufacturing to the US

Based on the search results, here are the key points about Bavarian Nordic and moving pharmaceutical manufacturing to the US:

Moving pharmaceutical manufacturing to the US can be a complex and time-consuming process, potentially taking years to complete1.

Major challenges include:

Limited existing manufacturing facilities suitable for modern products like biologics in the US1
Long lead times (up to 4 years) for designing, building, and qualifying new manufacturing facilities1
Significant costs associated with building new facilities (e.g. $1-2 billion for large-scale biologics facilities)1
Extended timelines (up to 18 months) for ordering and receiving key equipment like filling lines1
Time-consuming product transfer processes, taking up to 2 years per product1

Bavarian Nordic, a Danish biotechnology company, has manufacturing facilities in Denmark and Switzerland, with additional facilities in Germany and the US5.

The company has been expanding its manufacturing capabilities through partnerships and acquisitions:

Acquired travel vaccines from GSK in 2019 and Emergent BioSolutions in 20235
Entered a contract manufacturing agreement with Biological E Limited in 2025 to expand vaccine production capacity for low- and middle-income countries6 7

Bavarian Nordic has been focusing on expanding its global reach and manufacturing capabilities for vaccines, particularly for diseases like smallpox, mpox, and chikungunya6 7 9.

While the search results don't directly quote Bavarian Nordic's CEO on moving manufacturing to the US, they highlight the significant challenges and time constraints involved in relocating pharmaceutical manufacturing operations, which align with the general industry perspective on this issue.