Johnson & Johnson seems to be in a race to get the Coronavirus vaccine to the human trial phase by next month. The previous prediction was that human trials would be able to start in September, however strong new preclinical data and communication with regulators is proving that it’s now safe to move forward.
“Based on the strength of the preclinical data we have seen so far and interactions with the regulatory authorities, we have been able to further accelerate the clinical development of our investigational SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, Ad26.COV2-S, recombinant," Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer of Johnson & Johnson said. "Simultaneously, we are continuing our efforts to build important global partnerships and invest in our vaccine production technology and manufacturing capabilities. Our goal is to ensure we can deliver a vaccine to the world and protect people everywhere from this pandemic.”
The company said they will test a little over 1,000 people in the United states and Belgium from ages 18 to 55, as well as over 65. Johnson & Johnson’s government contract for the vaccine promises 1 billion doses through 2021.
This comes just after the U.S. reported 2.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases on Thursday, according to The New York Times. Head doctor and trusted source on COVID-19, Dr. Fauci says he’s confident of the current success of the coronavirus vaccine but is also aware that success isn’t guaranteed.
Click HERE to read the full press release from Johnson & Johnson.