Yanked from the market: Janssen withdraws its COVID vaccine from Canada

Got JCOVDEN in your inventory? Health Canada wants you to do two things: stop administering this particular COVID vaccine and return any remaining products for repatriation to the federal warehouse. Janssen Inc., the maker of JCOVDEN, withdrew the vaccine from the Canadian market effective June 30. Health Canada has cancelled the product’s Drug Identification Number (DIN)—which means this vaccine can no longer be sold to, or delivered in, Canada—and stopped post-market safety surveillance of JCOVDEN. Anne Génier, a spokesperson for Health Canada, said in an email that the voluntary recall of JCOVDEN was “due to business considerations.” “This decision is not related to safety or quality concerns,” she wrote. “As such, there was no notice for the general public, but the company has been in direct communication with the department and with provinces and territories. The Public Health Agency of Canada will be withdrawing JCOVDEN from use in Canada, working closely with provinces and territories.” Read: U.S. study examines whether COVID-19 vaccines increase the risk of GBS Génier said there are approximately 140,000 doses of JCOVDEN in Canada, all set to expire on September 30, 2023. Of these, 12,500 doses were distributed to the provinces and territories and the remainder are in central inventory at Innomar Strategies, an Oakville, Ont.,-based vaccine distribution vendor. “The Government of Canada is working with provinces and territories who are in contact with clinics and pharmacies to withdraw the remaining doses and return them to the central inventory,” wrote Génier. “Doses will then be disposed of in accordance with appropriate handling and storage guidelines.” An advisory posted by Sudbury and District Public Health noted that the JCOVDEN recall leaves a supply gap across Canada for non-mRNA COVID vaccines, at least until the next shipment—the delivery date is currently unknown—of Novavax. In Ontario, clinics and pharmacies that have JCOVDEN in their inventory are advised to contact covid.logistics@ontario.ca to arrange product pickup. Read: B.C. to launch website to book appointments with pharmacists to treat minor ailments

Yanked from the market: Janssen withdraws its COVID vaccine from Canada

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