Coronavirus Latest: Maryland-Based Emergent BioSolutions, Johnson & Johnson Partner On Possible COVID-19 Vaccine
GAITHERSBURG, Md. (WJZ) -- Emergent BioSolutions and Johnson & Johnson are teaming up on a possible vaccine for the coronavirus, the companies said Friday.
The Gaithersburg-based Emergent said it will use its deployment and manufacturing efforts to make Johnson & Johnson's drug.
"This is what our respective colleagues have been gearing themselves up for and this is why we jumped into the COVID pandemic and look to provide solutions," Emergent's senior vice president Syed Husain said.
The $135 million agreement will see Emergent begin working on the drug for Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies beginning later this year and will begin production in 2021. Much of the manufacturing will happen at Emergent's facility in Baltimore.
"In parallel to them providing the vaccine into the clinic that's when we would be gearing up for that subsequent large scale production," Husain said.
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Johnson & Johnson hopes to make one billion doses of the potential vaccine and wants to start human testing by September.
Last month, Emergent, which also manufactures Narcan and worked on the response to the Ebola crisis, said it was ready to manufacture multiple potential vaccines.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
