With the corona vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, a fourth vaccine is on the market in the European Union.
It is based on vector technology with adenovirus as a carrier.
New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA - The US company Johnson & Johnson has been developing a vector-based corona vaccine since January 2020.
Around a year later, the company certified it was 66 percent effective.
Johnson & Johnson: The company at a glance
Founded in 1886, Johnson & Johnson is one of the largest pharmaceutical and consumer goods manufacturers in the world.
According to its annual report, it had worldwide sales of $ 82 billion in 2019.
The group has numerous subsidiaries, particularly from the pharmaceutical industry.
Its headquarters are in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
The development of the corona vaccine was carried out by the subsidiary Janssen-Cilag International NV (Janssen Pharmaceutica) from Belgium.
Johnson & Johnson: The Evolution of the Corona Vaccine
In January 2020, Johnson & Johnson, in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, examined candidates for a corona vaccine.
This was identified in March and the human clinical trials began in July.
A phase 2 and two phase 3 studies followed.
One of them focused on the one-dose vaccination.
The second was to find out whether the effectiveness could be increased with a second dose of the vaccine.
The results of the study suggested that one dose was sufficient for comprehensive protection.
On February 16, 2021, Johnson & Johnson filed for approval with the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
The approval process began on the same day.
On March 11, 2021, the EMA issued conditional approval for people aged 18 and over.
In the USA, the vaccine was approved by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) on February 27th by means of emergency use approval.
Johnson & Johnson: Effectiveness and Mode of Action
Johnson & Johnson announced the results of the clinical studies in January 2021: According to them, the vaccine has an average effectiveness of 66 percent in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease.
The vaccine Ad26.COV2.S protected 85 percent against severe disease 28 days after the injection.
After the 49th day, no more severe courses were observed in the vaccinated test group.
The Johnson & Johnson corona vaccine is a vector-based vaccine.
An inactivated human adenovirus of type 26 is used as a carrier as a transport vehicle.
This is injected together with the genetic information of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
As a result, spike proteins form in the body, whereupon the body develops an immune response in the form of antibodies.
Johnson & Johnson: Side Effects
Immediately after the injection, the Johnson & Johnson corona vaccine can cause the following undesirable side effects:
Pain and redness at the injection site
Headache and joint pain
fatigue
chills
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the symptoms usually subside after a short time.
Johnson & Johnson: Availability and Price of the Vaccine
The European Union ordered 200 million doses of the corona vaccine from Johnson & Johnson and secured an option for an additional 200 million.
A delivery of 55 million doses by July 1, 2021 was contractually agreed. At the beginning of March 2021, the manufacturer announced that there would be delays due to delivery problems with raw materials and materials for vaccine production.
In Germany, the Federal Ministry of Health is planning the following availabilities in the second quarter of 2021:
10 million doses in the second quarter of 2021
23 million doses in the third quarter of 2021
4 million in the fourth quarter of 2021
In the United States, the company announced that it would make a sufficient amount of the vaccine available to 100 million Americans by April.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be stored at refrigerator temperature: it can be kept for at least three months at an ambient temperature of two to eight degrees.