AstraZeneca, a major pharmaceutical company, has applied for approval to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. He showed his intention to supply it promptly.

British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has developed a new coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with Oxford University and is applying to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for approval on the 5th of this month for use in Japan.



Regarding this, Executive Officer Tomoo Tanaka, who is in charge of vaccines at the Japanese subsidiary of AstraZeneca based in Osaka, responded to NHK's interview.



Among them, Executive Officer Tanaka said that if the vaccine for 60 million people who has a supply contract with the Japanese government is approved, more than 40 million people will be given to the pharmaceutical manufacturer "JCR Pharmaceuticals" headquartered in Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. He showed the idea of ​​producing at the factory and supplying it promptly.



The "mRNA vaccine" type of vaccine, which has begun to be inoculated in Japan, requires an ultra-low temperature freezer at around minus 75 degrees Celsius for long-term storage, while the AstraZeneca vaccine requires 2 to 8 degrees Celsius. "It will lead to an increase in the number of people who can be vaccinated," he said, saying that it can be transported and stored in a refrigerator.



On the other hand, in response to the view that the effect is limited against the mutant virus confirmed in South Africa, Executive Officer Tanaka said, "It is difficult to evaluate because the data is not yet available. Aiming for fall and winter, we are preparing a new vaccine that can handle mutant viruses. "

Undiluted solution manufactured in Hyogo prefecture

If approved, AstraZeneca will outsource the new coronavirus vaccine to a domestic pharmaceutical company to manufacture more than 40 million people.



Of these, the undiluted solution is manufactured by the pharmaceutical manufacturer "JCR Pharmaceuticals", which is headquartered in Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, at a factory in Kobe City.



At the factory, a solution containing the gene for the new coronavirus, which is the source of the vaccine, is brought into a dedicated room for culturing.



When it reaches a certain amount, it is transferred to a tank called a "bioreactor", which is about 3 meters high.



Inside this device, there is a special bag made of resin, which is said to warm or stir the solution to complete the vaccine.



By using this bag, it is possible to save the trouble of cleaning after manufacturing and improve production efficiency.



Regarding domestic production of vaccines, JCR Pharmaceuticals Senior Executive Officer Hiroshi Honda said, "I think the technical point is that we have an in-house team conducting research on gene therapy and can apply the technology to the production of vaccines and undiluted solutions. I want to produce it smoothly in Japan. "