J&J agrees in principle to supply UK with its COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Company working to ensure broad global access to COVID-19 vaccine candidate, following approval from regulators.

The company has agreed in principle to collaborate with the UK Government on a global Phase III clinical trial to explore the two-dose regimen of Janssen’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, Ad26.COV2.S. This global study will run in parallel to the Phase III trial investigating the single-dose regimen of Ad26.COV2.S.

In addition, the company has agreed (in principle) to supply the UK Government with Ad26.COV2.S if and when vaccine candidate gains regulatory approval.

“Ending the current COVID-19 pandemic will take a global effort, and this agreement is an important example of how we can begin to address this significant challenge through collaborative research,” said Paul Stoffels, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson.

The parties will negotiate a final advance purchase agreement in due course under which the UK Government would initially purchase 30 million doses of Janssen’s Ad26.COV2.S vaccine candidate on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use.

The agreement will also provide the option for an additional purchase by the UK Government of up to a further 22 million vaccine doses.

The Phase I/IIa first-in-human clinical trial of the vaccine candidate is underway in healthy volunteers in the US and Belgium and planning is underway for the Phase III programme.