01/05/2021

Assoc. Prof. Carl Lawton of the Department of Chemical Engineering expects changes to drug development and the biopharmaceutical manufacturing process as a result of the pandemic.

“Supply chains will be examined in detail and some will be sourced to the U.S. where possible. Quality and non-interruption of the supply chain will be a primary consideration,” says Lawton, who is director of the Massachusetts Biomanufacturing Center at UMass Lowell.

“Several companies are already allotting more resources and utilizing novel approaches to vaccine research as a result of COVID-19. These should accelerate,” he says.

Developing vaccines is one thing, but convincing the general public to trust their safety and efficacy is another.

“Public demonstrations of leading figures – such as former presidents, famous athletes and entertainers – getting the shot is important. Moving forward, introduction about the science and safety of vaccines should be done in grades K-12,” says Lawton.