Corning, a glass vial maker based in Corning, N.Y., has received an additional $57 million in funding from the federal government that will allow it to substantially increase its production of vials for COVID-19 vaccines.
The company said March 26 that the funding will allow it to produce 150 million vials this year, a 50 percent increase from its previous estimates, according to The Wall Street Journal. The 150 million vials can hold about 1.2 billion vaccine doses.
Corning plans to use the funding to hire more manufacturing workers, upgrade its glassmaking machinery and accelerate the opening of a plant in Durham, N.C., the Journal reported. The company also plans to expand its plants in Vineland, N.J., and Big Flats, N.Y.
Corning's vials use a new type of glass, called Valor glass, which is designed to be stronger and less likely to crack, according to the Journal. The glass can withstand the subzero temperatures some COVID-19 vaccines require.
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