One of the dark clouds hanging over Johnson & Johnson is lifting. The World Health Organization has green-lighted Dutch vaccine-maker--and J&J quarry--Crucell to resume supplying the Quinvaxem vaccine, restoring their relationship.
The WHO curtailed its acceptance of the five-disease children's prophylactic last fall amid concerns over sterility at the Shingal plant in South Korea, where Crucell makes the vaccine. Power failures were part of the problem, and they've been addressed through oversight and maintenance improvements.
The fixes follow a three-month investigation into the operations issues. During that time, the matter remained a talking point as J&J negotiated a purchase price with Crucell investors. The deal began to look certain last week at $2.4 billion. The healthcare giant eyed Crucell last year as the core of a vaccine business it wanted to build. It already owned a stake in the business but wanted full control.
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