UPDATE 2-Catalent to ramp up J&J vaccine production at Italian plant

Reuters · 03/17/2021 13:37
UPDATE 2-Catalent to ramp up J&J vaccine production at Italian plant

Adds details on vaccine production

- Catalent CTLT.N is scaling up manufacturing capacity for Johnson & Johnson's JNJ.N COVID-19 vaccine at its Italian plant, addressing some concerns over the drugmaker's ability to meet vaccine supply targets in the European Union.

The contract manufacturer said on Wednesday that it was adding a new vial-filling line as part of an expanded partnership with J&J. The line is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter to support the vaccine's production through late 2022, Catalent said.

The EU approved J&J's one-shot vaccine last week and its first shipments are set to begin in the second half of April. J&J has agreed to provide the EU with at least 200 million doses this year. nL1N2L9191

An EU official told Reuters in March that J&J had flagged possible supply issues, which could affect its plans to deliver 55 million vaccine doses to the bloc in the second quarter of the year. nL8N2L6519

The EU is grappling with a slow roll out of its vaccination program due to delivery delays from Pfizer/BioNTech PFE.N, BNTX.O and AstraZeneca Plc AZN.L.

Catalent's Bloomington, Indiana facility currently provides manufacturing and packaging services for J&J's vaccine in the United States.


UPDATE 2-Pfizer to deliver 200 mln vaccine doses to EU in second quarternL8N2LE2W3

UPDATE 4-Europe clears J&J's single-shot COVID-19 vaccine as roll-out faltersnL1N2L9191

FACTBOX-Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine recommended for EU authorization nL4N2KF48Y

EXCLUSIVE-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine supply to the EU about 10 mln doses short of plan -sourcesnL1N2KN231

UPDATE 3-Facing 'crisis of century', EU threatens ban on COVID vaccine exports to UKnL1N2LF0WF

UPDATE 1-AstraZeneca's lower EU vaccine supply target hinges on factory approval - documentnL1N2LB098

(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)

((manojna.kalyani@thomsonreuters.com; +91 8061822700;))