On Apr. 4, 2021, Emergent BioSolutions announced it had received a contract modification to increase the original task order by $23 million from Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).

The funding was used for the purchase of biologics manufacturing equipment specific to Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for the potential expansion of manufacturing of that bulk drug substance into a third suite of Emergent’s Baltimore Bayview facility.

In addition, Emergent expected to align with the U.S. government and AstraZeneca on a mutually agreed ramp down of manufacturing for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine bulk drug substance.