Varicella deal helps build Takeda's vaccines presence
This article was originally published in Scrip
Takeda is continuing to build up its interests in vaccines with an agreement to market in Japan a product for varicella zoster developed by Biken (the Research Foundation for Microbial Diseases of Osaka University).
The firm will begin sales of the freeze-dried, single-dose, live attenuated product from February.
The varicella virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles, is responsible for around 250,000 new infections annually in Japan across all age groups, and vaccines have been available on a voluntary basis since the late 1980s.
However, unlike in a number of countries including the US, Canada and South Korea, vaccines for the infection are still not included in the national schedule of routine childhood immunizations, and therefore not reimbursed by the health insurance system.
Takeda noted that studies with the Biken vaccine show it generates a protective immune response in 90% of those receiving a single dose.
Although Takeda has been involved in manufacturing and distributing a range of pediatric vaccines in Japan for more than 60 years, it only set up a dedicated vaccines division in early 2012. Though this, it is aiming to develop a broad portfolio of products mainly for developed markets (scripintelligence.com, 1 March 2012).
As part of its full-scale entry into the sector, the Japanese firm last year also acquired two privately held US vaccines companies, Inviragen and LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals (scripintelligence.com, 8 May 2013), which have given it candidates for dengue, norovirus and human hand, foot and mouth disease.
It is currently awaiting Japanese approval of BLB-750, a cell cultured H5N1 flu vaccine licensed from Baxter to be manufactured by Takeda, and a Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine, TAK-816, licensed from Novartis.