Japan to get 150M doses of Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – Japan will receive 150 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to be produced by US vaccine developer Novavax early next year.

Osaka-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited said in a statement on Tuesday that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare “will purchase 150 million doses of Novavax vaccine (TAK-019) candidate manufactured in Japan (but) subject to licensing and approval.”

Novavax, a US biotechnology giant, will partner with Takeda for supply of vaccines to Japan.

“The details of the terms and conditions of the agreement are confidential,” it added.

Takeda said it is establishing the capability to manufacture the Novavax vaccine at its facilities in Japan and “aims to begin distribution in early calendar year 2022.”

“Novavax is licensing and transferring manufacturing technologies to enable Takeda to manufacture the vaccine antigen and is supplying the Matrix-M TM adjuvant to Takeda for fill/finish together with the antigen,” said the statement.

Takeda will also be responsible for clinical trial and regulatory submission to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency in Japan.

It will distribute the vaccine in Japan “should it be approved” by the Japanese government.

Takeda’s efforts to transfer technology, establish production facilities and distribute Novavax’ vaccine candidate in Japan are supported by Japan’s Health Ministry, the statement said.

Japan has confirmed 1.58 million coronavirus cases, including 16,387 deaths, according to the prime minister’s office.

The country of 126 million people has also approved BioNTech/Pfizer and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines.