Benzinga | May 19, 2021 07:09AM EDT

India's Biological E To Make Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 Shots: Reuters

* Johnson and Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has joined hands with India-based Biological E Limited to manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine, alongside Biological E's COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which could boost the country's overall supplies amid a shortage.

* "The infrastructure and plants are completely separate for both the products and we will be producing both independent of each other," said Mahima Datla, Managing Director & CEO of Biological E, in a text message, declining to give any timeline or other details.

* According to Reuters, Biological E. was looking to contract-manufacture about 600 million doses of the J&J vaccine annually.

* In the list of likely vaccine output for 2021 released last week, the Indian government did not factor in any production of the J&J COVID-19 Vaccine.

* Reuters notes J&J has confirmed it was working with Biological E. on manufacturing its vaccine.

* "We believe Biological E. will be an important part of our global COVID-19 vaccine supply network, where multiple manufacturing sites are involved in the production of our vaccine across different facilities, sometimes in different countries and continents, before the vaccine can be distributed," a J&J India spokesperson said.

* J&J said last month it had sought permission to conduct a local clinical trial in India for its single-dose vaccine.

* Biological E., based in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, also plans to produce 75 million to 80 million doses of its vaccine a month from August. The drug has been developed with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and Dynavax Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: DVAX).

* Price Action: JNJ shares closed at $170.45 on Tuesday.