Merck will help Johnson & Johnson produce more COVID-19 vaccines

Washington. Pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. will help rival Johnson & Johnson produce its newly approved coronavirus vaccine so that it can be delivered faster, a US government official confirmed Tuesday.

The announcement comes as the United States tries to ramp up production of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which requires a single injection. Officials say J&J ran into trouble, producing just 3.9 million doses before getting an emergency permit on Saturday. The company claims it is on track to produce 100 million doses by the end of June.

Last week, J&J Vice President Richard Nettles said in an interpellation in Congress that the company has faced “significant challenges” to its manufacturing due to its “extremely complicated” manufacturing process.

Merck’s offer will likely help J&J meet its production targets and increase supply, but the government has not released any details so far.

President Joe Biden is expected to address the issue in a speech Tuesday afternoon. The government estimates it will have sufficient doses of the three approved vaccines to inoculate all eligible citizens by mid-June, although shipping the vaccines to medical centers may take a little longer.

It was not clear when Merck’s assistance in administering the injections will be effective. Previously, federal officials had warned it could take months to set up the complicated production lines.

A second official source indicated that Merck will dedicate two plants to the manufacturing process: one to make the vaccine and the other to bottle the substance and apply quality controls.

The two official sources disclosing Merck’s intentions spoke on condition of anonymity. The Washington Post was the first to make the news.

A few weeks ago, Merck had shelved its plans to develop a vaccine, as the results of its tests were disappointing compared to those of other companies. He announced at the time to focus on COVID-19 treatments.

Compared to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the J&J vaccine requires a single injection and is less complicated to administer, making it an important part of the US plan to take the drug to the rest of the world. export, although not until the American population has been vaccinated. . The J&J vaccine should be stored in cold but not freezing temperatures, and the patient does not need to return four weeks later for a second injection.