Nov 19 (Reuters) - Moderna ( MRNA ) said on Wednesday it

would now operate full end-to-end manufacturing for its mRNA

medicines in the U.S., marking a major step in strengthening the

company's domestic production network.

The Cambridge-based company plans to invest more than $140

million to add the final manufacturing step to its existing

facility in Massachusetts.

The move will support both commercial and clinical supply as

the company seeks to reduce reliance on contract manufacturers.

Construction has begun at the Moderna Technology Center in

Norwood, with the company targeting completion by the first half

of 2027. The expansion is expected to create hundreds of skilled

biomanufacturing jobs.

"By onshoring drug product manufacturing to our campus in

Norwood, Massachusetts, we have completed the full manufacturing

loop under one roof in the U.S.," Chief Executive Stéphane

Bancel said in a statement.

Moderna ( MRNA ) has historically relied on outside partners for the

final drug product stage, known as fill-finish manufacturing.

The new capabilities will allow the company to control the

entire production process domestically.

The company gained global recognition during the COVID-19

pandemic when it developed Spikevax, one of the first

coronavirus vaccines, through a partnership with the U.S.

government's Operation Warp Speed program. Its mRNA technology

platform is now being used to develop treatments for infectious

diseases, cancer, rare diseases and autoimmune disorders.

Other drugmakers, including Pfizer ( PFE ) and Eli Lilly ( LLY )

, have also expanded U.S. manufacturing in recent years

as the industry moves to reduce reliance on overseas production.