J&J strikes deal with Emergent BioSolutions on coronavirus vaccine manufacturing

[NEW JERSEY] Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it had struck a deal with Emergent BioSolutions to use its manufacturing facilities in an effort to make more than 1 billion doses of a vaccine it is testing to stop the novel coronavirus.

The US healthcare conglomerate said the deal was the first in a series of prospective global partnerships to accelerate manufacturing of its experimental Covid-19 vaccine candidate, even before it has a signal that it works.

J&J plans to start human testing by September, with an eye on having it ready under an emergency use authorisation in early 2021, far quicker than the typical 18-month period that it takes for vaccines to be tested, approved and then manufactured.

Under the deal, valued at about US$135 million (S$192.6 million), Emergent said it would provide drug substance manufacturing services and was reserving large-scale manufacturing capacity.

J&J and the US government are investing US$1 billion to create enough manufacturing capacity for the experimental vaccine candidate to stop the virus that has killed nearly 185,000 people around the globe.

REUTERS