By Takaki Tominaga,
Japan aims to accelerate its vaccine research and development under a new government body after lagging behind other advanced countries in making vaccines available during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Strategic Center of Biomedical Advanced Vaccine Research and Development for Preparedness and Response was established in late March within the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development to promptly deliver safe and effective vaccines against infectious diseases on the government's priority list.
The government also aims to contribute to the international community by making the vaccines produced in Japan available abroad.
The organization, SCARDA, will provide stable long-term support for research by institutions and companies during non-pandemic times, while providing funding speedily and flexibly during public health emergencies.
"We will accumulate data and evidence in normal times and make the most of them in a health emergency," a SCARDA official said.
SCARDA is expected to play a similar role to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the National Institutes of Health in the United States in the development of COVID-19 vaccines, according to the official.
SCARDA shares with the U.S. institutions a commitment to collaborating in public-private partnerships and early investments and engagement, the official said.
"Our primary focus is especially how we can shorten the time and make vaccines available quickly after a breakout in line with the '100 Days Mission' of the G-7," the official said, without elaborating on a set timeframe.
The Group of Seven industrialized nations, including Japan, has set an ambitious target of having safe and effective diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines ready to deploy within the first 100 days of a future pandemic threat being identified by harnessing scientific innovation through public-private collaboration.
The Group of 20 economies also supports the mission, with their leaders agreeing to shorten the cycle for developing diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines from 300 to 100 days following the identification of future pandemic threats.
However, the development of vaccines against infectious diseases is considered a high-risk project for a company because it is almost impossible to predict when and in what magnitude a virus will emerge.
Most vaccine candidates do not make it to licensure, and the costs of failed products must also be absorbed, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says.
As part of efforts to hedge capital investment risks, production facilities of vaccines for contingencies will serve as production facilities of other biological drug products during regular times, according to the Japanese government's plan.
With the establishment of SCARDA, the government will directly support private vaccine development by covering research and development costs. At the same time, the official said it has not ruled out the possibility of committing in advance to purchase a successful vaccine.
The government plans to spend 51.5 billion yen ($420 million) for preparing major development sites and allocate 150.4 billion yen for research and development of vaccines against communicable diseases on its primary list and new technologies associated with them.
