Corporate accountability

SHOT: FDA orders the destruction of another 60 million doses of J&J’s vaccine produced by its partner, Emergent BioSolutions. This on the heels of a previous contamination of 15 million doses.

June 11 2021: EU drug regulator stops use of J&J vaccine doses made at Baltimore plant during time of contamination

The EMA announcement marks the latest blow to Emergent, which has suffered a wave of negative publicity once the contamination concerns were revealed earlier this year, leading to the plant’s shutdown in April.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ordering Johnson & Johnson to throw out 60 million doses of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine produced, while allowing another 10 million to be distributed with a warning that the FDA cannot guarantee they were produced using good manufacturing practices.

Federal officials "determined several other batches are not suitable for use, but additional batches are still under review and the agency will keep the public informed as those reviews are completed," the agency said.

Meanwhile, it came to light earlier this month that Emergent has been embroiled in quality control problems for some time. 

The FDA has repeatedly cited the company for a myriad of potentially dangerous issues, such as poorly trained employees, cracked vials and problems managing mold and other contamination around one of its facilities, according to records obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act. The records cover inspections at Emergent facilities since 2017.

Chaser: Emergent BioSolutions’ chief received a 51% pay hike this year