J & J in partnership with Biological E to bring Covid -19 vaccine

A source has reported to Reuters that Johnson & Johnson is expected to co-ordinate with Biological E in running local trials for its Covid – 19 shot that is likely to be produced in India.

Earlier a senior government official has reported that J & J wanted to manufacture its vaccine in India.

From an unnamed source, it has been commented that although a deal has not yet been finalized but Biological E possesses that capacity to expand its existing partnership with J & J.

When asked about J & J’s interest in India and whether it was in a search for a local partner like other foreign vaccine makers, a J & J spokesman stated Reuters that it had announced it with Biological E in the month of August.

J & J unit, Janssen Pharmaceutica have already strike a deal with Biological E in order to collaborate on vaccines.

Biological E, whose own vaccine candidate developed with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and US – based Dynavax Technologies Corp, is under clinical trials in India. The last stage testing is scheduled to start in April. It has the capacity to produce more than one billion doses of vaccine per year.

Not sure as to when they could start production, Biological E’s Mahima Datla stated, “We are targeting 600 million doses for J & J. This will be in addition to our own product for which we are targeting approximately 1 billion doses”.

In the previous year, Biological E introduced a sterile injectable manufacturing facility in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. It was brought from Akorn, a site that has the capacity to manufacture 135 million units every year.

India desires that the vaccine companies manufacture local items for the domestic as well as the international market.

Vinod Kumar Paul, the country’s top government vaccine official reported the media, “We are watching J & J vaccine developments globally and they also have an interest in manufacturing in India.