GRAM Partners with Johnson & Johnson on Manufacturing in Fight Against COVID-19

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 25, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing ("GRAM"), a leading injectable contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has entered into an agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to support the manufacture of its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate.

The agreement includes the technical transfer and fill and finish manufacture of Johnson & Johnson's SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate. Together, teams from both companies are working diligently to transfer the manufacturing process to GRAM's new, state-of-the-art facility, and are swiftly preparing for the start of vaccine production.

"Should their vaccine candidate be approved, the opportunity to serve the population with a vaccine to combat the COVID-19 pandemic alongside Johnson & Johnson is an extraordinary privilege," said Tom Ross, President and CEO of GRAM. "Our team is enthusiastic, dedicated and focused on supporting Johnson & Johnson in the fight against COVID-19."

GRAM is expanding domestic fill/finish capacity for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics for companies that have agreements with the federal government to meet its Operation Warp Speed goals. The GRAM expansion is funded, in part, by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the Department of Defense's Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND).

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate being manufactured at GRAM is being developed, in part, with funding from BARDA. BARDA, in collaboration with JPEO-CBRND, also is funding a demonstration of manufacturing capability that is expected to result in 100 million doses of the investigational vaccine which the federal government will own.

GRAM is well-equipped to support the manufacturing of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine candidate. By performing advanced aseptic fill and finish services, GRAM is helping to ensure that supply of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine candidate would be available upon regulatory approval. GRAM will utilize its world-class 60,000 sq. ft. large-scale fill and finish facility located in Grand Rapids, MI.

About Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, Inc.
Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, Inc. ("GRAM"), a modern parenteral contract development and manufacturing organization, delivers customized solutions to meet clients' fill and finish needs from development through commercialization. With capabilities for biologics as well as controlled substances, GRAM's expert project managers and modern facilities support pharmaceutical development and cGMP manufacturing, analytical testing, and regulatory filing.

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CONTACT: 
Chelsea Keeton
616.888.6592
ckeeton@grandriverasepticmfg.com

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SOURCE Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing