Moderna, an American pharmaceutical company, has announced that it has begun clinical trials in Japan for a new coronavirus vaccine under development.
This marks the start of clinical trials for all vaccines planned to be supplied to Japan.
The Japanese government has signed a contract with Moderna to supply 20 million people in the first half of the year and another 5 million people by September if it succeeds in developing a new coronavirus vaccine.
According to Moderna, clinical trials have begun in Japan on the 21st to apply for approval to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
A total of 200 Japanese men and women over the age of 20 will be vaccinated with the vaccine under development to investigate its efficacy and safety.
This vaccine is already in use in the United States, and Moderna plans to apply for approval based on data from overseas clinical trials while observing the progress of clinical trials in Japan.
Regarding the vaccine for the new coronavirus, Pfizer in the United States and AstraZeneca in the United Kingdom have already conducted clinical trials in Japan, and clinical trials have begun on all vaccines planned to be supplied to Japan.