Manufacturer that ruined 15 million Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses once got a $163 million federal contract to improve its facility: NYT

• A facility that ruined millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses once got a $163 million federal contract, The New York Times reports.
• 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had to be thrown out due to contamination issues at the plant.
• The funds were for improvements at the facility and preparations for a potential pandemic.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

A Baltimore factory that ruined 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was once given a $163 million federal contract to improve its facility, according to a report from the New York Times.

The federal government first invested in Emergent BioSolutions - a biotech firm that's known for producing anthrax vaccines - more than eight years ago so that its Baltimore factory could be ready in case of a pandemic.

But the factory has been marred with issues, The Times reported. It was previously cited by the Food and Drug Administration for a myriad of issues, including mold and cracked vials, according to the Associated Press.

Emergent BioSolutions and Johnson & Johnson didn't immediately return a request for comment from Insider.