Bavarian Nordic to increase bulk manufacturing of Ebola vaccines for Janssen

Under the terms of a new contract, Bavarian Nordic will manufacture and deliver additional cases of the MVA-BN Filo vaccine in bulk to Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., building its supply of Ebola vaccines.

The deal, valued $13.9 million, will kick off this year and build on the more than 2 million doses already manufactured under an existing collaboration. Janssen licensed the drug as part of its Ebola vaccine regimen.

“We are pleased to continue our strong collaboration with Janssen,” Paul Chaplin, president & CEO of Bavarian Nordic, said. “Ebola remains a significant threat to global health security, and the supply of vaccines for local citizens, healthcare workers, and others who are being deployed in risk areas is crucial to prevent future outbreaks.”

The Ebola vaccine regimen consists of two parts: Ad26.ZEBOV is given first, followed by MVA-BN Filo, which is administered approximately eight weeks later. The pair were received positively by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use at the European Medicines Agency, who recommended their approval. However, final approval rests on the shoulders of the European Commission.