Japan’s MHLW And Baxter In Talks To Bring New Flu Vaccines To Japan
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
U.S. major drug maker Baxter International June 16 disclosed that the company is talking with Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare about exporting new H1N1 flu vaccines to Japan. Baxter said a negotiation toward signing a supply contract with the MHLW is ongoing and the first shipment could be ready as early as July. Currently, four Japanese domestic vaccine makers including Kitazato Institute are preparing to manufacture flu vaccines for the new H1N1 flu virus; however, due to limited production capability, the MHLW has been actively looking for additional supplies from overseas vaccine makers. Using cell engineering technology rather than the conventional egg method, Baxter is capable of producing a large amount of H1N1 vaccine in a shorter period of time. Baxter plans a July shipment, and could supply the world's first H1N1 vaccines ahead of Novartis. (Click here for more - Japanese Language