Large-Scale Manufacture of a Rotavirus Vaccine

Abstract

This thesis develops a process and associated plant design for the large-scale production of a rotavirus vaccine. With an estimated annual 215 000 child deaths and only 19% immunization within the population, there exists a worldwide demand for the vaccine. Among various commercial vaccines already in production, a vaccine made by GlaxoSmithKline known as Rotarix was the product ultimately chosen to model. This is due to its relatively simple manufacturing process, high effectiveness, and ease of use. The thesis first formulates the process stages necessary to manufacture the working vaccine including cell expansion, clarification, and lyophilization. It then analyzes the economic feasibility of the process using costing estimations and budgeting tables. The final model results in a plant that can annually produce 80 000 000 doses of the vaccine and meets the needs of a substantial portion of the population. The thesis found that the proposal nets a profit after a single year of sales assuming a reasonable effective interest rate of 20%, making it a highly desirable investment. The thesis concludes with suggested experiments to obtain empirical values of the virus and improve models along with recommendations on further optimizing the design.