Janssen Pharma Working With Beth Israel Medical for Covid-19 Vaccine

By Chris Wack

Johnson & Johnson said Friday that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies have entered a collaboration with the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to support the development of a preventive vaccine candidate for Covid-19.

The companies have begun preclinical testing of multiple vaccine prospects, with an aim to identify by the end of March a Covid-19 vaccine candidate for clinical trials.

Janssen said it is optimistic that, in collaboration with multiple global strategic partners, it can initiate a Phase 1 clinical study of a potential vaccine candidate by the end of the year. Janssen is preparing to upscale production and manufacturing capacities to levels required to meet global public health vaccination needs.

Janssen said it is using its proven vaccine technology used to develop investigational Ebola, Zika, RSV and HIV vaccines. Research and collaboration on preclinical work for Zika and HIV vaccine candidates at the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center was foundational to developing these vaccines.

Janssen said it is also working closely with global strategic partners to screen its library of antiviral molecules to accelerate the discovery of potential Covid-19 treatments.

Write to Chris Wack at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 13, 2020 10:15 ET (14:15 GMT)

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