Business Wire

MA-TAKEDA

Share
Takeda Announces Approval of Nuvaxovid® COVID-19 Vaccine for Primary and Booster Immunization in Japan

Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) today announced that it has received manufacturing and marketing approval from the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for Nuvaxovid® Intramuscular Injection (Nuvaxovid), a novel recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, for primary and booster immunization in individuals aged 18 and older. Novavax licensed and transferred its manufacturing technologies to enable Takeda to develop and manufacture the vaccine at its facility in Hikari. Takeda will begin distribution of Nuvaxovid doses purchased by the Government of Japan as soon as possible.

“COVID-19 continues to pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of our global community,” said Gary Dubin, M.D., President of the Global Vaccine Business Unit, Takeda. “We are proud to contribute to the development of Nuvaxovid and to manufacture the vaccine at our Hikari facilities, continuing our commitment to the COVID-19 public health response in Japan.”

The approval is based on Takeda’s New Drug Application (NDA) submission which included interim results from a Phase 1/2 study conducted by Takeda in Japan and several studies conducted by Novavax, including two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials in the U.K., the U.S. and Mexico, and Phase 1/2 studies in Australia and the U.S. Interim results from the Phase 1/2 study in Japan were positive and consistent with previously reported clinical trial results. No serious adverse events were reported in this study and the vaccine candidate was well-tolerated. Additional safety and efficacy data were submitted to support booster immunization, including a Phase 2 study conducted by Novavax in South Africa evaluating a booster dose given 6 months after primary immunization.

Nuvaxovid is stored at a refrigerated temperature of 2 -8℃ and will be transported using a conventional vaccine supply chain.

Takeda received funding for the technology transfer and research and development to manufacture Nuvaxovid at its Hikari facility through the MHLW and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development.

The financial impact of the vaccine on the full year consolidated financials for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023 (Fiscal Year 2022) will depend on the specific distribution schedule. We will disclose the Fiscal Year 2022 forecast at the Fiscal Year 2021 financial results announcement scheduled in May 2022.

TAK-019 Clinical Trial

This placebo-controlled Phase 1/2 study in Japan evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of two vaccinations of TAK-019 given 21 days apart. The first of 200 subjects aged 20 years and older was dosed in Japan on February 24, 2021, and each participant was assigned to receive a placebo or a 0.5 ml dose of TAK-019 at both vaccinations. Subjects have been followed for 12 months after the second dose of investigational product. The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier for this trial is NCT04712110.

About Takeda’s COVID-19 Efforts

Takeda is taking a comprehensive approach to treat and prevent COVID-19 today, and future pandemics through multiple activities and partnerships including, but not limited to:

  • Vaccines: Takeda has partnered with the Government of Japan, Novavax and Moderna , to help accelerate the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. Through the collaboration with Novavax, Takeda is using its well-established global manufacturing and supply capabilities to develop and commercialize Novavax’ vaccine candidate for Japan. The company is also importing and distributing Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine as part of a three-way partnership with Moderna and Japan’s MHLW. Takeda supports our partners and alliances in a shared goal to rapidly discover, develop and deliver effective treatments and vaccines for COVID-19 and ensure preparedness for future pandemics.
  • Hyperimmune globulin : Takeda co-founded the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance and joined forces with other leading plasma companies to evaluate a hyperimmune globulin medicine in a global clinical trial. While the data did not meet its endpoints, the program has contributed to the scientific understanding of antibody-based treatment to address the virus and highlighted the broader therapeutic value and importance of plasma to treat rare diseases.
  • Additional therapeutics: The company has assessed existing Takeda products for activity against the COVID-19 virus and co-founded the COVID R&D Alliance . In addition, Takeda has joined the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) CARE consortium, the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines (ACTIV) partnership and the COVID RED project.

Takeda’s Commitment to Vaccines

Vaccines prevent 2 to 3 million deaths each year and have transformed global public health.1 For more than 70 years, Takeda has supplied vaccines to protect the health of people in Japan. Today, Takeda’s global vaccine business is applying innovation to tackle some of the world’s most challenging infectious diseases, such as dengue, COVID-19, pandemic influenza and Zika. Takeda’s team brings an outstanding track record and a wealth of knowledge in vaccine development and manufacturing to advance a pipeline of vaccines to address some of the world’s most pressing public health needs. For more information, visit www.TakedaVaccines.com .

About Takeda

Takeda is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments, guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Genetics and Hematology, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people’s lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries and regions. For more information, visit https://www.takeda.com .

Important Notice

For the purposes of this notice, “press release” means this document, any oral presentation, any question and answer session and any written or oral material discussed or distributed by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) regarding this release. This press release (including any oral briefing and any question-and-answer in connection with it) is not intended to, and does not constitute, represent or form part of any offer, invitation or solicitation of any offer to purchase, otherwise acquire, subscribe for, exchange, sell or otherwise dispose of, any securities or the solicitation of any vote or approval in any jurisdiction. No shares or other securities are being offered to the public by means of this press release. No offering of securities shall be made in the United States except pursuant to registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or an exemption therefrom. This press release is being given (together with any further information which may be provided to the recipient) on the condition that it is for use by the recipient for information purposes only (and not for the evaluation of any investment, acquisition, disposal or any other transaction). Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws.

The companies in which Takeda directly and indirectly owns investments are separate entities. In this press release, “Takeda” is sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Takeda and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words “we”, “us” and “our” are also used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any materials distributed in connection with this press release may contain forward-looking statements, beliefs or opinions regarding Takeda’s future business, future position and results of operations, including estimates, forecasts, targets and plans for Takeda. Without limitation, forward-looking statements often include words such as “targets”, “plans”, “believes”, “hopes”, “continues”, “expects”, “aims”, “intends”, “ensures”, “will”, “may”, “should”, “would”, “could” “anticipates”, “estimates”, “projects” or similar expressions or the negative thereof. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements: the economic circumstances surrounding Takeda’s global business, including general economic conditions in Japan and the United States; competitive pressures and developments; changes to applicable laws and regulations; the success of or failure of product development programs; decisions of regulatory authorities and the timing thereof; fluctuations in interest and currency exchange rates; claims or concerns regarding the safety or efficacy of marketed products or product candidates; the impact of health crises, like the novel coronavirus pandemic, on Takeda and its customers and suppliers, including foreign governments in countries in which Takeda operates, or on other facets of its business; the timing and impact of post-merger integration efforts with acquired companies; the ability to divest assets that are not core to Takeda’s operations and the timing of any such divestment(s); and other factors identified in Takeda’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and Takeda’s other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available on Takeda’s website at: https://www.takeda.com/investors/ reports/sec-filings/ or at www.sec.gov . Takeda does not undertake to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or any other forward-looking statements it may make, except as required by law or stock exchange rule. Past performance is not an indicator of future results and the results or statements of Takeda in this press release may not be indicative of, and are not an estimate, forecast, guarantee or projection of Takeda’s future results.

Medical Information

This press release contains information about products that may not be available in all countries, or may be available under different trademarks, for different indications, in different dosages, or in different strengths. Nothing contained herein should be considered a solicitation, promotion or advertisement for any prescription drugs including the ones under development.

References

  1. World Health Organization. Vaccines and immunization . Retrieved December 2021.

Link:

ClickThru

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

AWS Launches AWS European Sovereign Cloud and Announces Expansion Across Europe15.1.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release

AWS announces the general availability of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud and plans to expand across Europe with new AWS Local Zones in Belgium, the Netherlands, and PortugalAmazon plans to invest more than €7.8 billion in the AWS European Sovereign Cloud in Germany and support an average of 2,800 full-time equivalent jobs annually Today, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the general availability of the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a new, independent cloud for Europe entirely located within the EU, and physically and logically separate from other AWS Regions. The AWS European Sovereign Cloud’s unique approach provides the only fully featured, independently operated sovereign cloud backed by strong technical controls, sovereign assurances, and legal protections designed to meet the needs of European governments and enterprises for sensitive data. AWS also announced plans to extend the AWS European Sovereign Cloud footprint from Germany across the EU to support stringent isolation, i

Cargill Advances Maritime Decarbonisation with Delivery of First Green Methanol Dual-Fuel Vessel15.1.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release

Brave Pioneer is the first in a new fleet of chartered vessels designed to scale Cargill’s investment to low-carbon innovation across dry-bulk shipping Cargill today announced the maiden voyage of Brave Pioneer, the first of five green methanol dual-fuel dry bulk vessels chartered by the company. The deployment of the Brave Pioneer marks another important milestone in Cargill’s broader decarbonization efforts – one focused on innovation, testing and learning as the company works with customers and partners to refine future-ready solutions for Cargill and the industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114083757/en/ Built by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and owned by Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Brave Pioneer is equipped to operate on both conventional marine fuels and green methanol, a lower-carbon alternative. Built by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and owned by Mitsui & Co. Ltd., Brave Pioneer is equipped to ope

Axelspace Signs MoU with Ethiopian Company to Address Social Challenges through the Utilization of Satellite Data15.1.2026 07:30:00 CET | Press release

Axelspace Corporation (“Axelspace”), a leading developer and operator of microsatellites dedicated to realizing its vision of “Space within Your Reach,” has made a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jethi Software Development PLC (“Jethi”), an Ethiopian technology company, to cooperate on addressing social and development challenges through the utilization of satellite-based Earth observation (EO) data. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114413353/en/ Naol Debele, Chief Executive Officer of Jethi (left), and Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace, at the signing ceremony on January 13 in Ethiopia The MoU was signed by Naol Debele, Chief Executive Officer of Jethi, and Yuya Nakamura, President and CEO of Axelspace. The signing ceremony, held in Ethiopia on January 13 (local time), was attended by representatives of the Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) of Ethiopia, members of the Jethi Bo

Samsung Epis Holdings Delivers Business Updates at the 44th J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference15.1.2026 01:40:00 CET | Press release

Samsung Bioepis plans to secure 20 biosimilars in its products and pipeline by 2030The new pipeline will include dupilumab, guselkumab, ixekizumab, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki, vedolizumab, and ocrelizumab, in addition to pembrolizumab currently in Phase 1 and 3 clinical studiesHaving secured investigational new drug application (IND) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), SBE303, Samsung Bioepis’ novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) engineered to target Nectin-4, will enter into the Phase 1 first-in-human clinical trial this yearSamsung Bioepis plans to add one novel therapeutic candidate in clinical study every year Samsung Epis Holdings (KRX: 0126Z0) today shared corporate progress and updates at the 44th J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114206458/en/ Kyung-Ah Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Samsung Epis Holdings "2026 is a mon

Most Delivered Light-Entry Jet Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 With Garmin Autothrottles Enters Into Service, Bringing Greater Control and Precision to Pilots14.1.2026 20:30:00 CET | Press release

The Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 with Garmin Autothrottles recently entered into service. Certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in October 2025, the integration of Garmin’s Autothrottle system in the Citation M2 Gen2 further supports the most delivered light-entry jet’s capabilities by bringing greater control and precision to pilots. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114646844/en/ Most delivered light-entry jet Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 with Garmin Autothrottles enters into service, bringing greater control and precision to pilots (Photo Credit: Textron Aviation). The Cessna Citation M2 Gen2 is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company. “We continue to invest in our products to provide customers with the best aviation experience in the world," said Lannie O’Bannion, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing. “The M2 Gen2 leads its segment as the most delivered

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye