Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. began vial filling and packaging of AstraZeneca vaccines produced from undiluted solutions in its facilities under the outsourcing agreement with the UK-Swedish company, signed in February, local media reported on Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2021) Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. began vial filling and packaging of AstraZeneca vaccines produced from undiluted solutions in its facilities under the outsourcing agreement with the UK-Swedish company, signed in February, local media reported on Friday.
The Japanese drug manufacturer received undiluted solutions of AstraZeneca and began its production on Thursday, Kyodo news agency said. The exact quantity has not been announced.
AstraZeneca filed for registration of its coronavirus vaccine with the Japanese health authorities on February 5, however the government is yet to approve its use in the country.
"We will supply the vaccine immediately after gaining approval from the Japanese government," an AstraZeneca official was cited as saying by Kyodo.
Japan is set to receive 120 million doses of AstraZeneca, enough to vaccinate 60 million people. Out of them, 30 million will be reportedly manufactured by Daiichi Sankyo and KM Biologics using undiluted solutions shipped to the country by AstraZeneca. Solutions for remaining 90 million doses will be produced by JCR Pharmaceuticals in the Japanese city of Kobe.
The mass vaccination campaign began in Japan on February 17. The country has already inoculated 40,000 frontline healthcare workers. The new batch of vaccines will be used to vaccinate 4.7 million medical workers. Starting April, 36 million Japanese citizens over 65 years old will also be eligible for vaccination.
Currently the only registered vaccine in Japan is Pfizer's.
