India's Biological E To Make Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Shots: Reuters

Johnson and Johnson JNJ has joined hands with India-based Biological E Limited to manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine, alongside Biological E's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which could boost the country's overall supplies amid a shortage.
"The infrastructure and plants are completely separate for both the products and we will be producing both independent of each other," said Mahima Datla, Managing Director & CEO of Biological E, in a text message, declining to give any timeline or other details.
According to Reuters, Biological E. was looking to contract-manufacture about 600 million doses of the J&J vaccine annually.
In the list of likely vaccine output for 2021 released last week, the Indian government did not factor in any production of the J&J COVID-19 Vaccine.
Reuters notes J&J has confirmed it was working with Biological E. on manufacturing its vaccine.
"We believe Biological E. will be an important part of our global COVID-19 vaccine supply network, where multiple manufacturing sites are involved in the production of our vaccine across different facilities, sometimes in different countries and continents, before the vaccine can be distributed," a J&J India spokesperson said.
J&J said last month it had sought permission to conduct a local clinical trial in India for its single-dose vaccine.
Biological E., based in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, also plans to produce 75 million to 80 million doses of its vaccine a month from August. The drug has been developed with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Dynavax Technologies Corporation DVAX.
Price Action: JNJ shares closed at $170.45 on Tuesday.

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