Johnson & Johnson's Coronavirus Vaccine Candidate Efficacious in Pre-Clinical Studies; Human Testing Has Begun

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) has gained some ground in the coronavirus vaccine race. On Thursday, the pharmaceutical and consumer goods company announced that in pre-clinical studies, its Ad26.COV2-S vaccine candidate had demonstrated effectiveness in protecting on non-human primates from infection with SARS-CoV-2. In contrast to other coronavirus vaccine candidates -- such as the one many observers view as the most promising, Moderna's mRNA-1273 -- Johnson & Johnson's produced its response with a single dose.