Catalent Inc., which has its U.S. corporate headquarters in Somerset, said Monday it will provide drug substance manufacturing to AstraZeneca for the University of Oxford’s adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222.

Catalent will start production at its commercial gene therapy manufacturing facility in Harmans, Md., in the third quarter, building on its previous pact with AstraZeneca for fill-finish and packaging duties at its Anagni, Italy, site.

“Catalent has significant experience in viral vector manufacturing,” said Manja Boerman, president, Catalent Cell & Gene Therapy, in a prepared statement. “We are pleased to have the capabilities at our flagship Catalent Gene Therapy site to expand our support for the AstraZeneca program while continuing to serve our current gene therapy customers. Our gene therapy team is proud to join our Catalent Biologics colleagues at the Anagni site in the advancement of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.”

Catalent’s state-of-the-art Harmans commercial manufacturing facility is equipped with single-use technology and houses more than 200,000 square feet of late-stage clinical and commercial-stage gene therapy production. The facility is one of Catalent’s five gene therapy facilities in Maryland providing clinical through commercial-scale services and houses multiple CGMP manufacturing suites including fill/finish, central services and testing laboratories, warehousing and supply chain capabilities.

The Catalent Biologics network also includes sterile drug product manufacturing and packaging facilities in Anagni, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; and Bloomington, Ind., with additional facilities in Europe and the United States for manufacturing proteins, cell therapies and biologics analytical services.