Takeda and Biological E. collaborate to develop affordable combination vaccines

Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda has entered two licensing agreements with Indian firm Biological E. to accelerate the development and supply of low-cost combination vaccines.

Under the agreements, Biological E. will commercialise the affordable combination vaccines in India, China and other low-income and middle-income countries worldwide with large, unmet public health requirements.

Takeda vaccine business unit chief operating officer Rahul Singhvi said: "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."

Takeda will transfer its existing measles and acellular pertussis vaccine bulk production technology from Japan to Biological E.

The company will also transfer the provision of technical services, such as support in infrastructure review, training for production and quality control, technical assistance in process development, preclinical study design and production of clinical batch and the first commercial batches.

Biological E. will scale up the bulk production technology transferred from Takeda and will be completely responsible for both performing and funding development activities for the combination vaccines.

The company has the rights to use Takeda’s measles vaccine technology for a combination measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, as well as the company’s pertussis vaccine technology for any pertussis-containing combination vaccine.