Reig Jofre pharmaceutical company to produce Janssen Covid-19 vaccine candidate

Reig Jofre, a Catalan pharmaceutical company based in the outskirts of Barcelona, announced on Tuesday that it would produce a Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by Janssen, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson.

The multinational stated that their agreement with Janssen includes executing the technology transfer to manufacture the investigational vaccine, Ad26.COV2-S, on "a large scale."

In a press release, Reig Jofre stated that it expects to begin production next year "presuming approval by appropriate health authorities."

"Under the terms of the agreement, Reig Jofre will be responsible for the formulation, filling, and packaging of the vaccine candidate, which will then be distributed by Janssen," the announcement reads.  

A new plant to produce the vaccines will come into operation in the first quarter of 2021 after a €30 million investment made in 2018.

"Integrating cutting-edge isolator technology and highly automated processes, this facility guarantees the quality and safety of aseptic production at its highest level," the company claims.

"The project candidate entails additional investment, already underway, to ensure the new facility complies with the biosafety levels required by the Ad26.COV2-S vaccine candidate."

In August, the Spanish Medicine Agency authorized the Phase 2 of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine candidate clinical trial to take place in Spain.