Singapore: Japan’s Takeda pharmaceuticals have inked two licensing pacts with Biological E for development and delivery of affordable combination vaccines for low and middle-income countries. Takeda will transfer its measles and acellular pertussis vaccine bulk production technology to BE under license, the firms said on Monday. It would also provide support for production and quality control and technical assistance in pre-clinical study design and production of clinical and first commercial batches.

As per the terms, BE has rights to use Takeda's measles vaccine technology for a combination MR vaccine, pertussis vaccine technology for any pertussis-containing combination vaccine. The tie-up gives BE an opportunity to diversify its geographic reach and serve additional markets. Ms Mahima Datla, MD, Biological E, said, “We look forward to contributing to the measles elimination goals and protection against rubella.”

 A press release issued by Biological E (BE) said that BE will commercialize the vaccine in India, China and low and middle-income countries where large, unmet public health needs exist. 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

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.

Mr Rahul Singhvi, Chief Operating Officer, Takeda's Vaccine Business Unit, said that the collaboration will address the absence of access to vaccines in many parts of the world, and help countries 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," Mr Singhvi said.