Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo gets approval for COVID vaccine, first for country

TOKYO — A Japanese health ministry panel recommended approval for Daiichi Sankyo’s 4568.T mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine in what would be the nation’s first home-grown shot for the coronavirus.

Daiichi Sankyo submitted the vaccine, known as DS-5670 with the brand name Daichirona, to regulators in January, proposing the shot as a booster after regular immunization.

The decision by the expert panel, delivered on Monday evening, sets up the vaccine for full approval by the government.

During the pandemic, Japan mainly relied on imports of mRNA-type vaccines developed by US drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna.

The same panel held off an approval of a recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine developed by Japanese drugmaker Shionogi. — Reuters