The New York Times reported that the Johnson & Johnson secretly shut down the only plant producing useable amounts of its COVID-19 vaccine late last year, citing persons familiar with the decision.
According to the article, the suspension is just temporary, and the plant in the Dutch city of Leiden is anticipated to resume production in a few months.
According to the New York Times, the facility has been developing an experimental but potentially more profitable vaccine to guard against an unrelated virus.
J&J said in an email that it has millions of doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in stock and that it continues to supply all of its fill-and-finish locations with the drug component needed to make the vaccine.
“In relation to the COVAX Facility and the African Union, we continue to execute our contractual duties,” J&J added.
According to the New York Times, the temporary closure of the Leiden factory might restrict the supply of J&J vaccine by a few hundred million doses.
Other factories have been tapped to produce the vaccine, but they are either not operational or have yet to acquire regulatory authority to do so, according to the article.
Last month, the company predicted that sales of its COVID-19 vaccine will reach $3.5 billion in 2022. That’s up from $2.39 billion in 2021, a year marred by production setbacks, safety worries, and uneven demand for a vaccine that was once hailed as a potential tool for inoculating hard-to-reach populations.
Post Your Comments