29 October 2020 - - US-based biotechnology company Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) has confirmed that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan and Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd (NYSE: TAK) have agreed to purchase and distribute 50m doses of mRNA-1273, Moderna's vaccine candidate against COVID-19, to support Japan's aim of providing vaccines to the Japanese public as soon as possible, subject to necessary regulatory approvals, the company said.

Moderna is responsible for the manufacture and supply of Moderna's vaccine candidate, and Takeda, with the support of the MHLW, the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development and Moderna, is responsible for all import, local regulatory, development and distribution activities in Japan to ensure timely access starting during the first half of 2021.

Over the past nine years, Moderna has invested in creating and developing a novel platform for designing and manufacturing a new class of mRNA-based vaccines.

The investments in this proprietary platform have enabled Moderna to expeditiously create, manufacture and clinically develop mRNA-1273 to potentially address the current COVID-19 pandemic.

A summary of the company's work to date on COVID-19 can be found here. mRNA-1273 currently is not approved for use by any regulatory body.

Moderna is advancing messenger RNA science to create a new class of transformative medicines for patients.