Takeda, IDT join J&J Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing effort

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced a mutual agreement with IDT Biologika GmbH, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), to use space at IDT previously reserved for Takeda’s dengue fever vaccine candidate to instead manufacture the single-shot Covid-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. At the end of a three-month period, the area will be returned to Takeda to continue manufacturing and preparing for the planned launch of its dengue vaccine (TAK-003).

With this agreement, Takeda is now supporting global access to three different Covid-19 vaccines. The company previously announced its commitment to providing rapid and sustained access to Covid vaccines in Japan via partnerships with Novavax and Moderna. Takeda will receive a manufacturing technology transfer from Novavax, and will be responsible for the development and commercialization based on manufacturing capacity of over 250 million doses.

The company will also import and distribute 50 million doses of Moderna's mRNA vaccine as part of a joint partnership with Moderna and the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare (MHLW).