Daiichi Sankyo says it has begun producing AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in Japan

By Metro US Posted on March 11, 2021

Medical workers receive doses of the vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital in Tokyo

TOKYO (Reuters) – Daiichi Sankyo Co said on Friday it had begun the production of AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine in Japan.

The drugmaker said in a release it will prepare the vaccine in Japan, including vial filling and packaging, using the bulk solution provided by AstraZeneca.

The Japanese government has already arranged to buy 120 million doses of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, enough for 60 million people. Most of the doses will be made in Japan by Daiichi Sankyo, JCR Pharma and other local partners.

(Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)