Belgium has produced a highly effective vaccine
Janssen Belgium has focused on drug research and development for more than 60 years. The firm has been instrumental in the discovery and development of a new generation of drugs for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and infectious and neurological diseases. It is therefore well placed to take on the new challenge posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Indeed, its long tradition in biopharmaceuticals has enabled it to bring together a mix of expertise based on highly qualified researchers and partnerships in research and development, manufacturing, and new product launches. It is this firm that has developed a highly effective vaccine in the fight against coronavirus for the giant Johnson & Johnson, 280,500 doses of which will arrive in Belgium in April, as the vaccine is being produced in the United States.
This Janssen Belgium product has four very interesting characteristics: it is administered in a single dose, it is effective in people over 60 years of age, it can be stored in a normal refrigerator, and it is also effective against the South African variant.
Johnson & Johnson's production takes place mainly in the United States. Some European Heads of State have therefore asked Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to encourage the pharmaceutical giant to set up production facilities in Europe, and thus avoid additional supply problems.