Takeda Pharma, Biological E in pact for vaccine development

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company and Biological E Ltd (BE) have signed two licensing agreements for development and delivery of affordable combination vaccines for low and middle-income countries.
According to a press release issued by BE today, Takeda will transfer to BE its existing measles and acellular pertussis vaccine bulk production technology.
The transfer also will include the provision of technical services such as support in infrastructure review, training for production and quality control, assistance in process development, preclinical study design, and production of clinical batch and the first commercial batches.
BE will commercialise the vaccine in India, China and low and middle-income countries where large, unmet public health needs exist, the release said.

Rahul Singhvi, Chief Operating Officer, Takeda's Vaccine Business Unit, said in the absence of access to vaccines in many parts of the world, this pact illustrates his company's desire to forge collaborations needed to overcome this public health challenge in low and middle-income nations.
"Access to medicines is one of Takeda's core values, and these agreements align with Takeda's strategic goals to make high-impact contributions to global public health, either alone or through partners.

"These two agreements, along with our current vaccine pipeline, underscore our global commitment to address important infectious diseases across the globe," Singhvi said.
BE will scale up the bulk production technology transferred from Takeda and will be solely responsible for conducting and funding development activities for the combination vaccines, the release said.

Under the agreements, BE has rights to use Takeda's measles vaccine technology for a combination MR (measles rubella) vaccine, pertussis vaccine technology for any pertussis-containing combination vaccine.
It will also have commercialisation rights for the MR and pertussis vaccines in India, China and selected public markets worldwide as defined in the agreements, it added.
Mahima Datla, Managing Director, BE, said the collaboration allows the Indian vaccine maker to serve additional markets and diversify its geographic presence.