Johnson & Johnson agrees to supply 200m Covid-19 vaccine doses to EU Member States

Johnson & Johnson has confirmed an Advanced Purchase Agreement deal with the European Commission (EC) to supply 200 million doses of its Covid-19 vaccine to EU Member States following regulatory approval and authorisation. The deal also includes the option for EU Member States to secure up to 200 million additional doses.

Speaking about the deal, Paul Stoffels, M.D., vice chairman of the Executive Committee and chief scientific officer, Johnson & Johnson said: “The Covid-19 pandemic continues to threaten communities worldwide and we have a responsibility to ensure access to our Covid-19 vaccine as soon as we can. We appreciate the Commission’s and the Member States’ support for our Covid-19 vaccine candidate and development efforts.”

Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary Janssen has been working on a vaccine candidate for Covid-19 since January this year. Janssen’s candidate (JNJ-78436725) is currently being tested as part of the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE Trial, which spans multiple countries and aims to test the efficacy and safety of a single vaccine dose in up to 60,000 volunteers. 

ENSEMBLE was launched by Johnson & Johnson earlier in September following positive interim results for its vaccine candidate in a Phase 1/2 clinical study. A second Phase 3 study with a two-dose regimen is planned to start later this year. 

Johnson & Johnson is now in talks with other stakeholders to help ensure its vaccine candidate is accessible across the globe, provided it is authorised. The company has also announced plans to allocate up to 500 million vaccine doses towards international efforts to ensure access for lower income countries. Pending authorisation from regulators, Johnson & Johnson plan to deliver its vaccine candidate to lower income countries starting in the middle of next year.