Biological E. (BE) negotiated two licensing agreements with Takeda for the latter’s measles and pertussis vaccines, which will allow BE to develop and commercialize affordable combination vaccines in India, China, and low- and middle-income countries. Takeda has sold both the vaccines in Japan for more than 20 years.
The agreements give Indian firm BE rights to use Takeda’s measles vaccine technology for the development of a combination measles and rubella vaccine and to use Takeda’s pertussis vaccine technology for any pertussis-containing combination vaccine.
Takeda will transfer to BE its existing measles and acellular pertussis vaccine bulk production technology and provide technical and support services and training for activities, including production, quality control, preclinical study design, and initial clinical and commercial batch production.
BE will be responsible for scaling up bulk production technology and for conducting and funding the development of combination vaccines for its designated markets. Mahima Datla, managing director at BE, stated, “At the core of our mission is to develop and commercialize affordable vaccines. We have successfully demonstrated this through our DTwP franchise in developing countries, and this collaboration allows us to serve additional markets and diversify our geographic presence. In the context of measles and rubella, we look forward to contributing to the measles elimination goals and protection against rubella.”
BE claims to be India’s first private sector biologics company. The firm operates three business sectors—biologics, pharma, and public markets—through which it supplies vaccines and pharmaceuticals to United Nations agencies for global markets, and within India to central and state government hospitals, the Indian armed forces, and domestic retail market. BE has multiple vaccine projects in development, both in-house and through international licensing or partnership agreements with industry and public bodies.
