Biden To Announce “Historic Partnership” In Which Merck Will Help J&J Manufacture And Distribute Vax

The Washington Post reports:

President Biden will announce Tuesday that pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. will help make Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot coronavirus vaccine — an unusual pact between fierce competitors that could sharply boost the supply of the newly authorized vaccine, according to senior administration officials.

Under the arrangement, Merck will dedicate two facilities in the United States to Johnson & Johnson’s shots. One will provide “fill-finish” services, the last stage of the production process during which the vaccine substance is placed in vials and packaged for distribution.

The other will make the vaccine itself, and has the potential to vastly increase supply, perhaps even doubling what Johnson & Johnson could make on its own, the officials said.

Read the full article.

Biden to announce that pharmaceutical giant Merck will help make Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine in pact between competitors https://t.co/zAn5QMzELj

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 2, 2021

This is huge. ⁦@tammybaldwin⁩ and I begged and begged the Trump Administration to use the Defense Production Act to address the pandemic. Trump refused.

Biden is now using the DPA to dramatically ramp up vaccine production. https://t.co/ZTDgeP0eJz

— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) March 2, 2021