India's Biological E. to Produce J&J COVID-19 Vaccine
According to the latest reports, Biological E. Limited will produce the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The biopharmaceutical company based in Hyderabad will produce J&J vaccine alongside its own candidate. Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E. Limited reportedly informed that both the vaccines will be produced independent of each other as the infrastructure & plants for both vaccines would be completely separate. As of now, no timeline or specific detail about the vaccines have been given by the company.
Reports suggest that in February, 2021 Biological E. was seeking to manufacture about 600 million doses of the J&J vaccine annually on a contract basis. However, the government of India did not factor in any production of J&J this year in the country. Meanwhile, a confirmation from J&J regarding Biological E. manufacturing its vaccine has been received.
"For us, Biological E. will be a significant part of our global COVID-19 vaccine supply network. Multiple manufacturing sites are dedicated for the production of the J&J vaccine across different facilities across the globe before the vaccine distribution," a J&J India spokesperson confirmed in an email. It must be noted that J&J informed that last month it had sought permission to perform a local clinical trial in India for its single-dose vaccine.
Biological E. Limited plans to produce 75 million to 80 million doses of its own vaccine a month from August, 2021. The drug has been developed with Baylor College of Medicine, Houston and Dynavax Technologies Corp.
At present, Covishield, Covaxin and Sputnik V are being administered to people above 18 years of age in the mass vaccination drive in India.
You may also like to read:
Who Should Not Take The COVID-19 Vaccine?
Can I Get The COVID-19 Vaccine While I Am Still Infected/ COVID-19 Positive?
Disclaimer: This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. Readers are advised not to rely on the contents of the article as conclusive in nature and should research further or consult an expert in this regard.
