Emergent and J&J Partner Up for $135 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Deal

Emergent announced on April 23, 2020 that it will use its contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services to support the manufacturing of Johnson & Johnson’s lead vaccine candidate for COVID-19 via a $135 million deal.

Through the agreement, Emergent will offer up its drug substance manufacturing services with support by investments from Johnson & Johnson starting in 2020, according to an Emergent press release. Additionally, Emergent will reserve large-scale manufacturing capacity for the commercial manufacturing of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies’, a Johnson & Johnson company’s, adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.

“We share with our partners the same urgency to combat COVID-19 and will leverage our talents, capabilities, and capacities up to 300 million doses to advance this much-needed vaccine candidate and ensure ongoing commercial supply through our CDMO services,”  said Syed T. Husain, senior vice president and CDMO business unit head at Emergent, in the press release.

“When mission-driven organizations combine talents and capabilities, potential solutions to serious issues like COVID-19 become more within reach to benefit patients,” added Robert G. Kramer Sr., president and CEO of Emergent, in the press release. “We are proud of our collaboration with Johnson & Johnson and are equally committed to our longstanding relationship with the US government. At a time like this, we all need to be working together to achieve maximum results for public health. Emergent is committed to our mission – to protect and enhance life – by advancing our own therapies and helping partner companies advance their programs as well.”

Source: Emergent