Changer ‘ At Baltimore Lab Producing Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccines – CBS Baltimore

by

BALTIMORE (WJZ) – At a single unit in southeast Baltimore, Emergent BioSolutions employees were working hard in the large area of ​​the bioreactor where coronavirus vaccines – including the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine – will be produced for use in the United States.

“In fact, we cultivate cell cultures, infect them with viral vectors, and then finally purify the viral vectors, which determines the immune response in humans,” said Sean Kirk, vice president of BioSolutions Emergent, production manager.

RELATED: Maryland Weather: Freezing Rain Overnight, Another Winter Storm Probably Moving Wednesday

The company granted WJZ rare access to its secure campus in Bayview. Three hundred employees work there, with dozens more supporting the remote installation.

“I want the people of Baltimore to be proud that Emergent is here, to be proud that many residents work in this facility,” Kirk said. “Every day, our people work long hours to overcome this pandemic, and what keeps them motivated is that we will produce hundreds of millions of doses next year.”

Emergent has a $ 480 million contract with Johnson & Johnson and another $ 174 million contract with AstraZeneca.

The federal government must also approve vaccines for use throughout the country.

In late January, Johnson & Johnson released the results of the third phase study and said it intends to apply for emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.

Related stories:

These results demonstrated 85% protection against severe coronavirus disease in adults of all ages and racial groups 28 days after vaccination. The overall efficacy rate for the prevention of moderate to severe disease was 72% in the USA and 66% in all countries studied. The vaccine has been 57% effective in preventing moderate to severe disease in South Africa, where a more contagious strain has spread rapidly among the population.

Maryland is the second state in which the South African strain has been detected. There are at least three cases in Maryland: two in Montgomery County and one in the Baltimore area. The positive Baltimore patient did not become infected while traveling, state health officials said.

The emergence of new strains means that vaccines are urgently needed.

People in Maryland and across the country are frustrated by the lack of vaccines.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has some benefits. Requires only one photo – and no special freezers.

RELATED: Governor Larry Hogan visits COVID-19 vaccination sites as demand continues to outstrip supply

“Single-dose gambling is definitely worth it,” Dr. Mathai Mammen, global head of research for Janssen Pharmaceutical J & J’s, told the Associated Press.

“You can get a J&J shot and 10, 14 days later, you’re already starting to have a substantial amount of protection,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a top adviser to the president. Joe Biden.

All COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize the new coronavirus, usually by spotting the spikey protein that covers it. But they are done in very different ways.

The Johnson & Johnson shot uses a virus as cold as a Trojan horse to carry the spike gene into the body, where cells make harmless copies of the protein to create the immune system if the real virus appears.

Johnson & Johnson said its vaccine works consistently in a wide range of people: one-third of participants were over 60 and more than 40 percent had other diseases, putting them at risk of COVID- 19 severe, including obesity, diabetes and HIV. The company insists the vaccine is safe, with reactions similar to other COVID-19 outbreaks, such as fever that occurs when the immune system is revitalized.

Maryland Vaccination Guide

Dr. David Marcozzi of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, an adviser to Governor Larry Hogan, called the Johnson & Johnson vaccine a “game changer.”

Emerging Biosolutions told WJZ that it is ready for the federal government to give a green light to the public use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine by the public. An advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration will meet on February 26 to discuss the vaccine candidate.

It usually takes a few weeks for the FDA to review the results of clinical trials.

Once the approval comes, “Nothing changes,” he told Hellgren. They are already producing the vaccine.

“We are wide open in production,” he said. “We have a significant opportunity to potentially save tens of thousands – hundreds of thousands – of lives in the coming months.”

Returning to the Bayview installation of Emergent, the sterile bags lining the tanks can be easily changed, so there is the flexibility to take booster photos or whatever else is needed.

At another emerging unit, opposite M&T Bank Stadium, the company signed an agreement to manufacture lenzilumab, a possible treatment for COVID-19.

“There is an extraordinary amount of work in fighting this backstage battle in facilities like ours and in other facilities in the industry to ensure that we collectively overcome this pandemic,” Kirk said.

Representatives of Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca are on site at Bayview, and Kirk said the highest safety standards are being met.

“The accelerated deadlines did not in any way jeopardize the safety we have incorporated into these products from the beginning,” Kirk said.

MORE: COVID In Maryland: 903 new cases, 23 reported deaths

For the latest information on coronavirus, visit Maryland Department of Health website or call 211. You can find all WJZ coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

.Source