Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCommonwealth GamesCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Business

Johnson & Johnson takes over US Covid vaccine factory after 15m doses spoiled

5 Apr, 2021 06:00 AM2 minutes to read
Biopharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions, where a mishap spoiled 15m doses of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / Getty Images

Biopharmaceutical company Emergent BioSolutions, where a mishap spoiled 15m doses of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccine. Photo / Getty Images

Financial Times
By Gregory Meyer in New York

A pharmaceutical plant that was producing ingredients for Covid-19 vaccines developed by both AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson will exclusively supply the latter company after a mistake by workers spoiled millions of doses.

US-based J&J said it was "assuming full responsibility" at the plant in Baltimore owned by Emergent BioSolutions. UK-based AstraZeneca said it would move Covid-19 vaccine production out of the facility to another location.

A reported 15m doses of J&J's vaccine were ruined last week after workers accidentally mixed ingredients for the jab and those for the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab.

The error was a setback to efforts to instil confidence in people wary of the vaccines developed to combat a virus that has killed more than 550,000 people in the US.

J&J last week said it had identified a batch of drug substance that did not meet quality standards at the plant owned by Emergent, a New York-listed life sciences company.

In an update over the weekend, J&J said it was increasing the ranks of manufacturing, quality and technical operations personnel to work at the Baltimore plant as it took over responsibilities for vaccine production.

Yet J&J reiterated its intention to deliver almost 100m doses of its vaccine to the US government by the end of May. The US has fully vaccinated 61m people, of which 4m received J&J's single-dose jab, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read More

  • Covid-19 coronavirus: How soon until the Pfizer vaccine is ready for 12-15 year olds?
  • Covid 19 coronavirus: Australian man hospitalised after AstraZeneca jab
  • Matthew Hooton: NZ trapped in the vaccine queue - NZ Herald
  • Covid 19 coronavirus: Ministers get vaccine and provide update on rollout - NZ Herald

Emergent's Baltimore plant has not yet secured emergency authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration to manufacture substances for the vaccine, and J&J said it would work towards that goal.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

AstraZeneca said it was working with the federal government to carry out plans to produce its vaccine in the US. "As part of that effort, and in full co-operation with the US government, AstraZeneca will relocate production" of its vaccine drug substance from the Emergent facility, it said.

The moves came after the Biden administration put J&J in charge of the Baltimore plant and moved to stop it from making the AstraZeneca vaccine, the New York Times reported, citing senior federal health officials.

Related articles

Business

China looks to rein in lending to cool property boom

04 Apr 09:30 PM
Business

Hertz puts new private equity group in driver's seat

04 Apr 08:30 PM
Business

How the KitKat went global

04 Apr 06:00 AM
Business

Covid has been a catastrophe. Can it also be an opportunity?

04 Apr 01:00 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Premium
BusinessUpdated

Māori tokenism in ads: Is it causing more harm than good?

17 Aug 05:00 AM
Premium
Business

Banks stick with their NZ milk price forecasts

17 Aug 04:00 AM
Premium
Business

Why mortgage rates may have peaked despite big OCR hike

17 Aug 03:28 AM
Business

E-sports company collapses after raising $5.3 million

17 Aug 03:33 AM
Premium
Business

Tourism NZ unveils $5m campaign targeting 'high quality' visitors

17 Aug 03:00 AM

Most Popular

Adrian Orr fronts media after RBNZ hikes OCR by 50bp
Business

Adrian Orr fronts media after RBNZ hikes OCR by 50bp

17 Aug 02:00 AM
'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery
New Zealand|Crime

'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery

17 Aug 01:32 AM
Premium
NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m
Business

NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m

17 Aug 01:04 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP