HHS, J&J Partner to Boost Vaccination Discovery for Coronavirus

Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies will expand its partnership with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to accelerate a vaccination discovery for the coronavirus or COVID-19, Johnson & Johnson recently announced.

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The collaboration with HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) builds on Johnson & Johnson’s  response to the coronavirus outbreak. It will also further Janssen’s ongoing work with global partners to uncover existing antiviral molecules to identify compounds with favorable antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2.

The Janssen and BARDA agreement was created under an existing US Government’s Other Transaction Authority (OTA). This agreement differs from the OTA in which Janssen’s vaccine research is being conducted. 

“We must engage in rigorous research and development in order to identify therapeutic candidates with antiviral activity against the novel coronavirus,” said Paul Stoffels, MD, vice chairman of the executive committee and chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson. “Our ambitious goal is to bring forward a solution for patients and ensure future generations do not have to live in fear of the potentially serious consequences of COVID-19.”

Both companies hope to uncover a solution for COVID-19 for communities in  China and around the world. 

Janssen will also work with Rega Institute for Medical Research (KU Leuven) in Belgium to screen potential compounds. The arrangement parallels the Institute’s infrastructure, high throughput screening experience, and capabilities for studying special pathogens with Janssen’s drug development resources and antiviral expertise.

“We have a proven track record in partnering with others to develop and deliver antiviral therapies that serve the needs of diverse populations worldwide. While we are at early stages, we are making that commitment again,” Stoffels concluded.

Hospitals and organizations will continue to work together to combat the spreading coronavirus. Most recently, Pasteur and Sanofi partnered to leverage previous development work for SARS vaccine to uncover a quicker way to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a recent press release. 

“Addressing a global health threat such as this newest coronavirus is going to take a collaborative effort, which is why we are working with BARDA to quickly advance a potential vaccine candidate,” David Loew, global head of vaccines at Sanofi, said in a statement. 

Sanofi will use its DNA platform to produce a potential vaccine candidate. The DNA sequence encoding will be combined into the DNA of baculovirus expression platform and used to create large amounts of the coronavirus antigen. Officials explained this will be formulated to stimulate the immune system and protect against the virus.

As the coronavirus continues to cause concern and poses a threat to individuals, influenza also made its expected debut this year as well, presenting great danger to individuals in the US. 

In December 2019, Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines global business unit of Sanofi, entered into an agreement with BARDA to increase the company’s domestic pandemic influenza vaccine production, according to a press release.

The contract intended to support the clinical development and manufacturing of a pandemic vaccine to boost the US and global pandemic preparedness. 

“Technology to produce effective vaccines quickly and safely in the United States can improve access, protect more people sooner and, ultimately, strengthen national and global health security. Public-private partnerships, such as this one with Sanofi Pasteur, are essential in moving such technology forward,” BARDA Director Rick Bright, said in a statement