Japanese multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company Takeda Pharmaceutical Co (TYO:4502) has asked regulators in Japan to approve use of Moderna Inc's (NASDAQ:MRNA) COVID-19 vaccine, Reuters news agency reported on Friday.

If approved, it would become the third COVID-19 vaccine to be included in Japan's national inoculation programme.

Takeda, which is handling domestic approval and imports of about 50 million Moderna doses, said previously that approval could be given in May.

Also, Takeda is handling the approval process and domestic production of about 250 million doses of Novavax Inc's (NASDAQ:NVAX) COVID-19 vaccine, which entered clinical trials in Japan late in February 2021.

Takeda plans to start distributing the Moderna vaccine in the first half of this year. Approval for the Novavax vaccine is expected in late 2021.

Reportedly, Japan commenced its vaccination programme in the middle of February 2021 using Pfizer Inc's (NYSE:PFE) vaccine, the first to be approved for domestic use. However, Pfizer doses, imported from European factories, are currently in short supply.

Also, AstraZeneca applied for Japanese approval of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate early in February 2021 and that decision is still pending.