WSJ Learns of Johnson & Johnson's COVID Vaccine Cuts

Johnson & Johnson is also in a legal battle with Merck's competitor, which previously also helped it make vaccines at the urging of the US government.

American company Johnson & Johnson is reducing the production of covid-19 vaccines amid falling demand. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing sources.

In recent months, Johnson & Johnson has terminated manufacturing agreements with companies that helped produce the vaccine during the CORONAVIRUS pandemic, such as Catalent and Sanofi.

A partnership with competitor Merck & Co., set up at the urging of the US government, fell short of expectations. Now the companies are engaged in arbitration, the newspaper writes.

According to sources, Merck & Co. produced vaccines in only one of its plants, while it did not produce commercial doses in the other plant, which provides for a more complex part of the manufacturing process.

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“They tried to make it the best possible way to meet global demand, but all those plans failed,” said supply chain expert and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development Prashant Yadav.

In April 2021, US and European authorities suspended the use of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine after blood clots formed in six patients who were injected with the vaccine. 

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Later, after research, the American regulator again allowed the use of the vaccine. The company resumed deliveries of the drug to Europe.

However, in May 2022, the United States again restricted the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine due to the risk of blood clots. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explained that it decided to restrict the vaccine after re-analyzing data on the risk of "life-threatening blood clots" within two weeks of vaccination.