Page 56 - 2021 White Paper
P. 56
1 White Paper on the Business Environment in China
According to Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, also in negotiations with US firm Moderna Inc for
the test initially targeted 20 to 30 medical at least 40 million doses of its vaccine candidate
workers at Osaka City University Hospital, and (Xinua, Japanese Public). The Japanese government
was expected to expand to hundreds by October. endorsed the bill later in October to make novel
Starting from April, the prefectural and municipal coronavirus vaccinations free to all residents here.
governments of Osaka as well as AnGes Inc, a The bill would also compensate the suppliers
startup set up by an Osaka University professor, of the vaccines should serious side effects be
began working on treatment drugs and vaccines caused and free health care will be offered to
for the coronavirus. By injecting a genetically recipients of the vaccine should they experience
engineered circular DNA into the body, the any adverse effects. The bill amended the current
envisioned vaccine expected to stimulate the vaccination law and came on the heels of Prime
immune system and make antibodies against Minister Yoshihide Suga in his first policy speech
the coronavirus. Early results from tests in mice in parliament since taking office, saying that the
showed increased antibody production and had government would make sure that it secured
proven its safety. Ryuichi Morishita, a professor enough vaccines for all people in Japan. Once
of clinical gene therapy at Osaka University and their safety has been confirmed pending clinical
founder of the AnGes, said the university would trials and regulatory approval, Suga said the
increase the number of people given the vaccine government aims to secure enough vaccines for
in stages while working to confirm whether all people in Japan in the first half of 2021. While
antibodies can be produced. AnGes' candidate was the Japanese government has been hoping that
one of Japan's best hopes for a novel coronavirus pharmaceutical firms here will be able to develop
vaccine as development was further along than a homegrown vaccine, so far local drug makers
others being produced by firms such as Shionogi involved in Covid-19 vaccine developments
& Co and Daiichi Sankyo Co (Wang). are only in clinical trials. The government also
endorsed a separated bill on the same day to
In October, the Japanese Health Ministry's revise the quarantine laws so that the isolation
advisory body approved a policy to provide measures for people who test positive for the
all members of the public in Japan with a free virus upon entry into Japan can be continued after
dose of vaccine against Covid-19 in a move February next year (Xinhua, Japan’s Govt).
aimed at tackling the spread of the virus. Amid
ongoing uncertainty as to how many doses of Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that
a vaccine might need to be administered for it no date for launching the Covid-19 vaccine had
to be effective, the policy refers to, at this stage, been fixed yet but it might be ready by the first
the initial dose for the Japanese public. At this quarter of 2021. "Efforts are being made to ensure
point it had yet to be officially decided whether that vaccine manufactures will try to produce these
foreign residents in Japan would be covered by vaccines parallelly so that we don't lose precious
the policy, despite the vast majority of foreign time in providing vaccines to the population." His
residents there in gainful employment paying for comments came two days after Indian vaccine
the National Health Insurance in the same way manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII)
as the Japanese. The government said that by the said it would pause Phase 3 trials that were to
first half of 2021 it hopes to have secured enough begin in India in September after international
vaccines from a budget of 671.4 billion yen biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca stopped
(US$6.4 billion) to secure and administer enough vaccine trials in four countries as a precautionary
vaccines to all members of the public. It agreed measure. The pausing of trials by the pharma
with British drug maker AstraZeneca Plc to receive giant was linked to a British volunteer showing
120 million doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine potentially adverse symptoms. The minister said
being developed with the University of Oxford. that the government was taking full precautions
Similarly, Japan has agreed with Pfizer Inc and in conducting the human trials of the vaccine.
its German partner BioNTech SE to receive 120 "Issues like vaccine security, cost, equity, cold-
million doses of their potential vaccine, providing chain requirements, production timelines, etc. are
its development proves successful. Japan was also being discussed intensely," he said. Vardhan
56
According to Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, also in negotiations with US firm Moderna Inc for
the test initially targeted 20 to 30 medical at least 40 million doses of its vaccine candidate
workers at Osaka City University Hospital, and (Xinua, Japanese Public). The Japanese government
was expected to expand to hundreds by October. endorsed the bill later in October to make novel
Starting from April, the prefectural and municipal coronavirus vaccinations free to all residents here.
governments of Osaka as well as AnGes Inc, a The bill would also compensate the suppliers
startup set up by an Osaka University professor, of the vaccines should serious side effects be
began working on treatment drugs and vaccines caused and free health care will be offered to
for the coronavirus. By injecting a genetically recipients of the vaccine should they experience
engineered circular DNA into the body, the any adverse effects. The bill amended the current
envisioned vaccine expected to stimulate the vaccination law and came on the heels of Prime
immune system and make antibodies against Minister Yoshihide Suga in his first policy speech
the coronavirus. Early results from tests in mice in parliament since taking office, saying that the
showed increased antibody production and had government would make sure that it secured
proven its safety. Ryuichi Morishita, a professor enough vaccines for all people in Japan. Once
of clinical gene therapy at Osaka University and their safety has been confirmed pending clinical
founder of the AnGes, said the university would trials and regulatory approval, Suga said the
increase the number of people given the vaccine government aims to secure enough vaccines for
in stages while working to confirm whether all people in Japan in the first half of 2021. While
antibodies can be produced. AnGes' candidate was the Japanese government has been hoping that
one of Japan's best hopes for a novel coronavirus pharmaceutical firms here will be able to develop
vaccine as development was further along than a homegrown vaccine, so far local drug makers
others being produced by firms such as Shionogi involved in Covid-19 vaccine developments
& Co and Daiichi Sankyo Co (Wang). are only in clinical trials. The government also
endorsed a separated bill on the same day to
In October, the Japanese Health Ministry's revise the quarantine laws so that the isolation
advisory body approved a policy to provide measures for people who test positive for the
all members of the public in Japan with a free virus upon entry into Japan can be continued after
dose of vaccine against Covid-19 in a move February next year (Xinhua, Japan’s Govt).
aimed at tackling the spread of the virus. Amid
ongoing uncertainty as to how many doses of Indian Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that
a vaccine might need to be administered for it no date for launching the Covid-19 vaccine had
to be effective, the policy refers to, at this stage, been fixed yet but it might be ready by the first
the initial dose for the Japanese public. At this quarter of 2021. "Efforts are being made to ensure
point it had yet to be officially decided whether that vaccine manufactures will try to produce these
foreign residents in Japan would be covered by vaccines parallelly so that we don't lose precious
the policy, despite the vast majority of foreign time in providing vaccines to the population." His
residents there in gainful employment paying for comments came two days after Indian vaccine
the National Health Insurance in the same way manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII)
as the Japanese. The government said that by the said it would pause Phase 3 trials that were to
first half of 2021 it hopes to have secured enough begin in India in September after international
vaccines from a budget of 671.4 billion yen biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca stopped
(US$6.4 billion) to secure and administer enough vaccine trials in four countries as a precautionary
vaccines to all members of the public. It agreed measure. The pausing of trials by the pharma
with British drug maker AstraZeneca Plc to receive giant was linked to a British volunteer showing
120 million doses of a potential Covid-19 vaccine potentially adverse symptoms. The minister said
being developed with the University of Oxford. that the government was taking full precautions
Similarly, Japan has agreed with Pfizer Inc and in conducting the human trials of the vaccine.
its German partner BioNTech SE to receive 120 "Issues like vaccine security, cost, equity, cold-
million doses of their potential vaccine, providing chain requirements, production timelines, etc. are
its development proves successful. Japan was also being discussed intensely," he said. Vardhan
56
