India, Dec. 9 -- In an important milestone for securing access to mRNA vaccines and enhancing medical research and development in Australia, global biotech Moderna has commenced construction of its new manufacturing facility at Monash University's Clayton campus in Melbourne's south east.

Construction work comes less than four months after Monash was selected as the site for the new facility that was first announced in March as part of a 10-year strategic partnership between Moderna and the Federal and Victorian governments.

It will be Moderna's first manufacturing site to be built in the Southern Hemisphere and the first to be built on a university campus. The facility is expected to open in 2024, subject to regulatory approvals, and w...