Japan buys 150 M doses of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is purchasing 150 million doses of US-based Novavax’ vaccine candidate (TAK019 in Japan) manufactured in Japan by Takeda Pharmaceutical, subject to licensing and approval. As part of a previously announced agreement with Novavax, Takeda is establishing the capability to manufacture TAK-019 (known outside Japan as NVX-CoV2373) 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. Takeda is responsible for the Japanese clinical trial and regulatory submission to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) and will distribute TAK-019 in Japan should it be approved by the MHLW.