Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Could Make Its Way To India By July

Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be imported to India for the fill and finish process over the next two to three months, according to a report by the Indian financial daily Mint.

What Happened: JNJ is in talks with Indian pharmaceutical company Biological E. to help with the ongoing tech transfer to India and the vaccine is expected to be imported latest by June or July, the report said — citing Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

In the pharmaceutical industry, many vaccine manufacturers use third parties to fill and finish, which is a process that involves filling up the vials with vaccines and packaging the medicine for distribution. 

JNJ has signed a tech-transfer agreement with Biological E to manufacture its investigational single-dose vaccine and is expected to make 600 million doses on an annual basis, as per Mint.

See Also: Johnson & Johnson Set To Resume COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout In Europe — With A Warning On The Label

Why It Matters: India, which is currently witnessing a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, has — according to a Reuters report — said it would fast-track emergency approvals for vaccines authorized by Western countries and Japan, paving the way for possible imports of Pfizer Inc PFE, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna Inc MRNA shots.

India has currently three COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use including candidates of AstraZeneca Inc. AZN and Bharat Biotech and Russia's Sputnik V.

Bharat Biotech said Wednesday the second interim analysis of data from the Phase 3 study of its Covaxin COVID-19 vaccine suggested 78% efficacy against mild, moderate, and severe disease, sending the stock of its U.S. partner Ocugen Inc. OCGN soaring.

Price Action: Johnson & Johnson shares closed 0.85% lower at $165.18 on Thursday.