Pfizer seeks rapid route clearance in Japan for COVID-19 vaccine – Xinhua

TOKYO, December. 18 (Xinhua) – US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. has become the first drug dealer to apply for permission to use his COVID-19 vaccine in Japan by filing a request with the health ministry on Friday.

Pfizer is seeking a fast-track permit, meaning that, based on its vaccination agreed in other countries, it does not have to conduct large-scale clinical trials here.

The vaccine, developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech SE, has already been distributed throughout Britain and the United States.

“If we win an agreement, we want to make sure our vaccine is delivered quickly to people in Japan and play a part in normalizing their social life,” said Akihisa Harada, president of Pfizer’s Japan unit. .

The Japanese government and Pfizer have already reached a basic agreement that the company will provide 120 million doses of the vaccine, enough to absorb half the Japanese population, by the end of June next year.

But if accepted, an outbreak could start as early as March, government officials have said, with Japan’s health minister saying his screening would be tough.

“We will closely monitor the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine before making a diagnosis. We will carry out the screening with the highest priority,” health minister Norihisa Tamura said at a news conference.

Pfizer and BioNTech SE have reported a 95 percent efficacy of its vaccine against COVID-19 based on its analysis of global clinical trial results. Enditem

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