AstraZeneca applies for COVID-19 vaccine approval in Japan
February 5, 2021, 10:42 am

AstraZeneca applies for COVID-19 vaccine approval in Japan

A vial of the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is pictured at the Lochee Health Centre in Dundee. (File photo: AFP)

Drugmaker AstraZeneca PLC said on Friday it had applied for approval in Japan of its COVID-19 vaccine, making it the second pharmaceutical firm to do so after Pfizer Inc.

The Japanese government in December signed a contract to procure 120 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, enough for 60 million people. The company is requesting special approval for the vaccine and plans to submit further data to regulators in March, it said in a statement.

The AstraZeneca element is a critical component in the government’s inoculation plan before the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for this summer: the doses will be made mostly in Japan, and don’t need to be kept refrigerated at the ultra-cold temperatures required for the Pfizer formula.

AstraZeneca, which developed the vaccine with the University of Oxford, started clinical trials in Japan last summer,recruiting 256 volunteers.

Japan has secured rights to at least 564 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from Western developers, the biggest quantity in Asia and more than enough for its 126 million population.

But Japan has lagged behind other major economies in starting its COVID-19 inoculation campaign, partly because of its dependence on overseas makers and its requirement of domestic clinical trials for all vaccine candidates.

source: Reuters

Image source: AFP

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”