SpikeVax Vaccine Now Marketed by Moderna in Japan

Osaka-based Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Moderna, Inc. announced today they have agreed to transfer the marketing authorization in Japan for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax™ vaccine from Takeda to Moderna effective August 2022.

However, Takeda will continue to provide distribution support under the current national vaccination campaign for Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for a transitional period.

As of February 3, 2022, 50 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine have been imported to Japan.

And Takeda has started importation and distribution of an additional 93 million booster doses from the beginning of 2022 for a total distribution of 143 million doses.

“We thank Takeda for their support and partnership in bringing our COVID-19 vaccine to Japan over the last two years and for helping to play a key role in addressing the pandemic across the country,” said Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s CEO, in a press release issued on May 31, 2022.

Takeda previously announced it would support another U.S.-produced COVID-19 vaccine.

On September 7, 2021, Takeda announced that the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) would purchase 150 million doses of Novavax’ protein-based Nuvaxovid™ vaccine (TAK-019 in Japan) manufactured in Japan by Takeda.

On April 18, 2022, Takeda announced that it had received manufacturing and marketing approval from the MHLW for Nuvaxovid for adults.

Additional COVID-19 vaccine news is posted at PrecisionVaccinations.com/COVID19.

Note: This announcement was curated for mobile readers.