A Baltimore plant run by Emergent BioSolutions that produces coronavirus vaccines ruined a batch of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, according to a statement released by Johnson & Johnson Wednesday.
Why it matters: The plant, which was projected to produce and ship tens of millions of Johnson & Johnson doses next month, must now cease producing the one-dose vaccine while the Food and Drug Administration investigates the error, the New York Times first reported. Axios confirmed the report is accurate.
Context: Workers at the plant, which had been producing Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, conflated the ingredients between the two different types of vaccines, destroying 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the Times.
- The error should not affect Johnson & Johnson doses currently being delivered and administered nationwide, as they were produced in the Netherlands.
- The Emergent BioSolutions plant had not yet been authorized by the FDA to manufacture drug substance for Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, but an authorization application had been pending, according to Politico.
What they're saying: Johnson & Johnson said Wednesday that its "quality control process identified one batch of drug substance that did not meet quality standards at Emergent BioSolutions, a site not yet authorized to manufacture drug substance for our COVID-19 vaccine."
- "This batch was never advanced to the filling and finishing stages of our manufacturing process," the company added.
- Johnson & Johnson said it is sending manufacturing and quality control experts to the plant to oversee future production.
Thought bubble, via Axios' Caitlin Owens: The Times says the accident won't stop the U.S....