Daiichi Sankyo starts AstraZeneca vaccine production in Japan
13 March, 2021
Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo Co said Fri it has started production the COVID-19 vaccine of Britain's AstraZeneca Plc on Japan, as reports emerged in a few European countries of blood clots in persons receiving the vaccine.
Based on an outsourcing arrangement concluded in February, japan pharmaceutical firm started out Thursday the vial filling and packaging of the vaccine applying undiluted solutions supplied by AstraZeneca at it is subsidiary Daiichi Sankyo Biotech Co., it said.
"We will supply the vaccine soon after gaining approval from japan federal government," an AstraZeneca official explained.
AstraZeneca, which filed for the Japanese well being ministry's approval of its COVID-19 vaccine found in early February, is set to supply to Japan 120 million doses, enough for about 60 million persons, of the vaccine developed with the University of Oxford.
Of the 120 million doses, 30 million will be created by Daiichi Sankyo and another pharmaceutical firm, KM Biologics Co, while JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. will manufacture alternatives for 90 million doses.
The European Medicines Agency said Thursday it has started investigation of blood clot cases among persons who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, including one death reported in Denmark.
Some European countries include halted supplying shots of the British pharmaceutical giant's vaccine pursuing reports of 30 cases of thromboembolic events among nearly 5 million people who have received it. Thailand also suspended the utilization of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday.
The EMA said the amount of such cases is no higher than the number observed in the general population and that the vaccine's benefits currently still outweigh risks.
Meanwhile, europe over Thursday extended its vaccine export control mechanism until the end of June as part of efforts to secure vaccines for EU residents.
"We will make every work to secure stable way to obtain vaccines (to Japan) from europe," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato stated Fri at a press conference, adding all applications for vaccine exports to Japan have already been so far approved.
Source: japantoday.com