In an announcements on Monday, March 30th, Johnson and Johnson Inc. announced a $1 billion project to expand manufacturing capacity to produce one billion doses of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 42 percent of the required capital will be funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority [BARDA], a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Moderna [MRNA] has commenced tests of a vaccine candidate and also will be funded by BARDA.
The Agency ultimately plans to sponsor up to six experimental vaccine candidates with the anticipation of two successful products available for administration within 12 to 18 months. It is understood that numerous COVID-19 vaccines are under development worldwide, although there is no assurance of either safety or efficacy among the candidates.
Rick Bright, Director of BARDA, stated “Government and industry is working in unprecedented ways.” He added, “The hope is to work as quickly as possible and manufacture enough vaccines for the U.S. and the rest of the world in a short time frame.”
Johnson and Johnson made the decision to initiate aspects of production in advance of preliminary testing of their candidate vaccine. Dr. Paul Stoffels, Chief Scientific Officer of the Company, stated that they have an early 2021 target and anticipates having data proving efficacy by the end of 2020. The company is basing their progress on technology previously applied to develop an Ebola vaccine. It is possible that when finalized, the vaccine may be produced in the U.S. and Europe simultaneously in anticipation of a resurgence of COVID-19, even if the infection is suppressed by mid-summer.