Emergent BioSolutions will face congressional investigation in connection with its federal contracts to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.
On Monday, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) and Rep. James Clyburn (D- South Carolina) announced that they are launching an investigation into Emergent BioSolutions.
Maloney is the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform while Clyburn is Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.
The two top House Democrats’ inquiry was prompted by the recent disturbing report that Emergent BioSolutions facility in Baltimore failed to meet quality control process standards.
Johnson & Johnson identified that one batch of drug substance for its COVID-19 vaccine did not meet quality standards at the Emergent BioSolutions facility. As a result, the multinational medical device & pharmaceutical company discarded 15 million doses of its Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
In a letter to the top executives of Emergent BioSolutions, Maloney and Clyburn stated that their committees will investigate whether the company took advantage its relationship with a key Trump administration official to profit from federal contracts despite its history of violations.
