Johnson & Johnson Becomes Third Company To Expand COVID-19 Vaccine Study To Adolescents - Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Pfizer (NYSE:PFE), BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX)

On Friday, Johnson & Johnson JNJ became the third company to enter the suit to expand the use of its coronavirus vaccine to adolescents. According to the press release, it will widen its ongoing Phase 2a trial to include adolescents ages 12 to 17.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial had begun in September last year. It was primarily designed to assess the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of single-dose and two-dose regimens of the vaccine candidate in healthy adults aged 18 to 55 years and elderly individuals aged 65 years and above.
It will also analyze possible vaccination schedules at one, two, and three-month intervals in two-dose vaccine regimens.
The COVID-19 vaccine candidate will initially be tested in a small number of adolescents.
Following the initial data review in this Phase 2a trial, the study will be expanded to a larger group of younger adolescents.
J&J's move comes after Pfizer Inc's PFE, and BioNTech SE's BNTXCOVID-19 vaccine showed to be 100% effective in children ages 12 to 15. That shot is authorized in people 16 and older.
In March, Pfizer - BioNTech dosed the first healthy children in a global Phase 1/2/3 seamless study to further evaluate its COVID-19 vaccine in children six months to 11 years of age.
In mid-March, Moderna Inc MRNA dosed the first participant in the Phase 2/3 study (KidCOVE study) of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in children ages six months to less than 12 years.
Price Action: JNJ shares are up 0.44% at $163.55 in the market trading session on the last check Monday.

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