Aspen currently is handling fill & finish for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. However, in an interview with the Reuters news agency, CEO Stephen Saad said the companies are imminently preparing to announce a wider agreement. At the urging of world health officials, the South African CDMO is expected to produce the shot for Africa under license.

Plans for a licensing deal were broached in early September this year. The terms reportedly would be similar to AstraZeneca’s deal with India’s Serum Institute.

Aspen’s existing contract with J&J calls for it to supply 31 million doses to South Africa in 2021. The CDMO also plans to supply up to 400 million to the rest of the continent through an agreement with the African Union. The World Health Organization and other health groupings have criticized South Africa for allowing J&J doses produced in Africa to be exported.

For numerous reasons, including glitches at the Baltimore, Maryland, plant of US CDMO Emergent Biosolutions, J&J’s rollout beyond US borders has been beset by delays. Aspen only began supplying South Africa at the end of July. In early September, the EU agreed to return to Africa 20 million doses diverted to Europe to make up for an Emergent-related shortage, bringing temporary relief to the continent.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist