EU in talks with J&J to secure COVID-19 vaccine supplies

The European Commission on Thursday concluded exploratory talks with Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) to purchase a potential vaccine against COVID-19. J&J’s Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceutica will now enter into contract negotiations with the EC.

This is following the first positive steps with France’s Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) and the UK’s GlaxoSmithKline (LSE: GSK)   Sanofi- GSK in July for as many as 300 million doses of the vaccine they are developing.

The envisaged contract with J&J would provide for the possibility for all European Union member states to purchase the vaccine, as well as to donate to lower- and middle-income countries or re-direct to EEA countries. It is anticipated that, once a vaccine has proven to be safe and effective against COVID-19, the Commission would have a contractual framework in place for the initial purchase of 200 million doses of Janssen’s SARS-CoV-2 candidate, Ad26.COV2.S on behalf of all EU member states, and could further purchase up to an additional 200 million vaccine doses. The Commission pursues intensive discussions with other vaccine manufacturers.