Moderna Withdraws 1.6M COVID-19 Vaccine Doses In Japan Over Contamination Concerns

More than a million doses of Moderna Inc’s MRNA coronavirus vaccine have been taken out of circulation in Japan after reports of contamination emerged, Nikkei Asia reported Wednesday.

What Happened: Nearly 1.6 million doses were put out of use in Japan, as per the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, reported Nikkei Asia.

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Several vaccination centers reported the presence of foreign matter in the vaccine vials, the ministry said.

Moderna confirmed receiving complaints related to “particulate matter” distributed in Japan but said it found "no safety or efficacy issues,” as per Nikkei Asia.

The lot involved and two adjacent lots have been put on hold “out of an abundance of caution,” as per a Moderna spokesperson.

Why It Matters: The Moderna vaccine is distributed in Japan through the company’s partner Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited TAK.

Moderna is “investigating the reports and remains committed to working transparently and expeditiously with its partner, Takeda, and regulators to address any potential concerns,” a company spokesperson told Nikkei Asia.

The spokesperson attributed a “manufacturing issue” to a plant in Spain as the cause.

Moderna secured an emergency use authorization in Japan for its vaccine in May this year.

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Last month it was reported that Japan was set to buy an additional 50 million doses of the Moderna vaccine.

In April, 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s JNJ COVID-19 vaccine were ruined after the company found a problem with an ingredient used in vaccines produced at an Emergent Biosolutions Inc EBS plant in Baltimore, Maryland.
Price Action: On Wednesday, Moderna shares closed 0.74% higher at $397.87 in the regular session and fell nearly 0.5% in the after-hours trading.

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