Johnson & Johnson will likely have a Covid-19 vaccine available for children under 18 by September, CEO Alex Gorsky said.
‘I think it will probably happen exactly in that timeline. The good news is that the FDA is already working with companies to establish clear regulatory guidelines so that the correct data can be collected, ”Gorsky told David Ignatius at a Washington Post Live event on Wednesday.
Gorksy said a benefit of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that this particular type of vaccine has been used previously in lower age groups.
“The AdVac 26 was widely used among wide age groups, young and old in Africa when we developed it for other conditions such as Ebola and HIV. So it gives us reasons to be optimistic about the safety profile in that patient population, but we still have to do the clinical work, ”he said.
Last week, Johnson & Johnson first announced their plans to study the vaccine in adolescents. Gorsky says testing will start in people ages 12 to 18, and it will decline further from there.
“We will conduct several immunogenicity and safety studies in children from 17 years of age through neonates,” said Dr. Macaya Douoguih, head of clinical development and medical affairs at J & J’s Janssen vaccine division, most recently to an advisory committee of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. week.
“We also expect a study in pregnant women in the second and third trimester by the end of March, early April,” Douoguih said. “We also plan to start a study in immunocompromised individuals in the third quarter of this year.”
Both Pfizer and Moderna are currently testing their mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines in children.