Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has agreed to pay $99 million to put opioid-related claims in the State of West Virginia to bed. The state has removed J&J from an ongoing trial in Kanawha County. West Virginia’s attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, concluded that state’s decision not to join a nationwide settlement was worthwhile because the state received…
How medtech and pharma are responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Medtech and pharma companies continue to support Ukraine relief efforts following Russia’s invasion. Previously, the World Health Organization announced that it was sending “essential medical supplies” to Ukraine — including its first shipment of 36 metric tons of supplies for trauma care and emergency surgery and other health supplies — to meet the needs of more than…
Johnson & Johnson inks agreement to have its COVID-19 vaccine manufactured in Africa
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) announced today that it completed an agreement for the manufacturing of its COVID-19 vaccine in Africa. The landmark agreement, made between Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals and South Africa-based Aspen SA Operations, allows for the first COVID-19 vaccine to be manufactured and made available by an African company for people living…
Johnson & Johnson pauses COVID-19 vaccine production in Dutch plant
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has decided to temporarily suspend production of its COVID-19 vaccine in Leiden in the Netherlands to prioritize production of an investigational respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, according to The New York Times. The plant will resume production of its COVID-19 vaccine in a matter of months, the paper reported. The company is…
Johnson & Johnson reaches opioid settlement with Colorado and Nevada
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has reached a settlement agreement with Colorado and Nevada to put opioid-related allegations there to bed. Colorado will receive $385 million from Johnson & Johnson and the drug distributors McKesson (NYSE:MCK), AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC) and Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH). Nevada will receive nearly $285.2 million as part of the overall settlement, which is earmarked…
CDC’s ACIP deprioritizes Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 15 to 0 to prioritize the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines over Johnson & Johnson’s. One of the main reasons for the recommendation is a rare side effect associated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that results in low blood clots and blood-platelet levels. CDC officials revealed…
J&J joins Moderna and Pfizer in researching Omicron variant
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has announced that it is collaborating with academic institutions internationally to gauge the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. In particular, J&J said it is conducting research on blood serum from clinical trial volunteers who have received single or multiple doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. The…
California and Colorado to allow COVID-19 boosters for all adults
COVID-19 vaccine booster eligibility has gradually expanded, but a significant portion of adults don’t meet the current criteria set forth by FDA and CDC. California and Colorado have decided to sidestep the federal government by making all fully vaccinated adults in those states eligible for a booster. California will require that six months have elapsed…
Johnson & Johnson to spin off consumer segment
Recently, General Electric (NYSE:GE), Zimmer Biomet (NYSE: ZBH) and Toshiba (TYO:6502) announced their plans to slim down by spinning out core businesses. Now, Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) is following a similar approach by making its consumer health business a standalone company. J&J will retain its pharmaceutical and medical device segments. The company said in an…
J&J COVID-19 vaccine to find use in conflict zones
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) has reached an agreement with the U.S. government and the public–private health partnership Gavi to distribute the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine to conflict zones or humanitarian settings. New Brunswick, NJ–based Johnson & Johnson anticipates deliveries in such areas in the coming days. “We believe our single-shot COVID-19 vaccine has a critical role to…