U.S. searches for new AstraZeneca vaccine producer after Emergent mix-up

Source: Politico | April 5, 2021 | Sarah Owermohle

Officials are telling AstraZeneca to cut ties with Emergent entirely, a senior health official said.

U.S. health officials are helping AstraZeneca find a new manufacturing partner for millions of its coronavirus shots after the contractor Emergent BioSolutions mixed up ingredients for two Covid-19 vaccines it’s simultaneously producing, a senior health official told POLITICO.

The Biden administration already told Johnson & Johnson to directly take over vaccine manufacturing at Emergent’s Maryland plant after reports that the manufacturer had contaminated 15 million Johnson & Johnson doses with ingredients for AstraZeneca’s shot.

But now, officials are telling AstraZeneca to cut ties with Emergent entirely, worried about the prospect for more mishaps that could erode public confidence in Covid vaccines, the official said. They added that the administration has identified two potential partners for AstraZeneca to work with on future production.

Emergent announced late Sunday that the administration’s health agency has put $23 million towards new manufacturing equipment at the Bayview, Maryland facility that manufactured the contaminated doses. “In addition, Emergent expects to align with the U.S. government and AstraZeneca on a mutually agreed ramp down of manufacturing for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine bulk drug substance,” the company said in a statement.

AstraZeneca confirmed in a statement that it is relocating its manufacturing and “will work with the U.S. Government to identify an alternative location for domestic drug substance production.”

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