Modern retains 1.63 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in Japan due to contamination

August 25 (Reuters) – Moderna Inc. (MRNA.O) has withheld the supply of approximately 1.63 million doses to Japan after it was notified of contamination of its COVID-19 vaccine vials with particulate matter, he said. on Wednesday the American vaccine manufacturer.

The pollution, the company said, could be due to a manufacturing problem at one of the production lines at its contractual manufacturing site in Spain.

The batch with complaints had 565,400 doses and “as a precaution” Modern has suspended the batch and two adjacent ones.

“So far, no safety or efficacy issues have been identified,” Moderna said, adding that he would work with his partner Takeda Pharmaceutical (4502.T), as well as regulators, to address the issue.

Takeda said he conducted an emergency examination after finding particles in many vaccine vials at an inoculation site.

The health ministry said early Thursday that it had decided to withdraw some doses as a precaution after consulting with Takeda, but will work to minimize the impact of the withdrawal on its inoculation plans.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Wednesday that about 60% of the population would be fully vaccinated by the end of September and that the country had enough vaccines to provide booster doses if such a decision is made. Read more

Nikkei first reported the news of the contaminated roads, citing the health ministry.

Reports of Manojna Maddipatla and Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Edited by Arun Koyyur

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