Johnson & Johnson is likely to have a Covid-19 vaccine available for children under 18 in September, says CEO Alex Gorsky.
“I think it is likely to occur just in this timeline. The good news is that the FDA is already working with companies to establish clear regulatory guidelines so that the right data can be collected, “Gorsky told David Ignatius during a live event at the Washington Post on Wednesday.
Gorksy said one of the benefits of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is that this particular type of vaccine has been used before in lower age groups.
“AdVac 26 was widely used among large age groups, young and old in Africa, when we developed this disease for other conditions such as Ebola and HIV. Therefore, it gives us reasons to be optimistic about the as for the safety profile in this patient population, but we still have to do the clinical work, ”he said.
Last week, Johnson & Johnson first announced plans to study the vaccine in teens. Gorsky says he will start testing in people aged 12 to 18 and will come down from there.
“We will be doing various immunogenicity and safety studies in children from 17 years old to newborns,” said Dr. Macaya Douoguih, head of clinical development and medical affairs with J & J’s vaccine arm, Janssen, at an advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention week.
“We also anticipate a study in pregnant women in the second and third trimesters in late March, early April,” Douoguih said. “We also plan to start a study in immunocompromised people in the third quarter of this year.”
Both Pfizer and Moderna are testing their Covid-19 mRNA-based vaccines in children.