March 30 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson JNJ.N :
* JOHNSON & JOHNSON ANNOUNCES A LEAD VACCINE CANDIDATE FOR COVID-19; LANDMARK NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES; AND COMMITMENT TO SUPPLY ONE BILLION VACCINES WORLDWIDE FOR EMERGENCY PANDEMIC USE
* J&J - CO AND BARDA TOGETHER COMMIT MORE THAN $1 BILLION TO NOVEL CORONAVIRUS VACCINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
* J&J - EXPECTS TO INITIATE HUMAN CLINICAL STUDIES OF ITS LEAD VACCINE CANDIDATE AT LATEST BY SEPTEMBER 2020
* J&J - WILL ESTABLISH NEW U.S. VACCINE MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES, ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION CAPACITY OUTSIDE U.S. TO BEGIN PRODUCTION AT RISK TO ENSURE GLOBAL VACCINE SUPPLY
* J&J - ANTICIPATES FIRST BATCHES OF A COVID-19 VACCINE COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION IN EARLY 2021
* J&J - BARDA, CO HAVE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ENABLE EXPANSION OF ONGOING WORK TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL ANTIVIRAL TREATMENTS AGAINST CORONAVIRUS
* J&J - BARDA AND JOHNSON & JOHNSON HAVE ALSO EXPANDED THEIR PARTNERSHIP TO ACCELERATE JANSSEN'S ONGOING WORK IN SCREENING COMPOUND LIBRARIES