Japan to Launch Its First COVID-19 Clinical Trial by Early 2021

The first clinical trial of coVID-19 vaccine in Japan will start on June 30, Osaka Prefecture announced Tuesday.

Osaka governor Yoshimbun Yoshimbun said Monday that 20 to 30 local medical practitioners will be involved in clinical trials of the vaccine from Tuesday, according to reports by The Asahi Shimbun and other media.
If the safety of the vaccine can be confirmed, the next step is to expand the trial to 400 to 500 people.

The vaccine, jointly developed by Osaka Prefecture, Osaka University and medical start-up companies, has been under cooperation since April, aiming to produce a vaccine for 200,000 people by the end of the year, with plans to roll it out in the spring or fall of next year, the report said.
The clinical trial of the coVID-19 vaccine is the first in Japan, Osaka prefecture said.

Around the world, many countries are pushing for vaccine research.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 120 vaccine candidates are under development globally, and a small number of them are in clinical trials.
However, given global demand, the government is concerned it may not be able to secure domestic use if it relies on foreign suppliers.

To ensure vaccine development, the Japanese government also provides subsidies to pharmaceutical companies to promote vaccine development and large-scale production.
In addition to vaccines, Japanese drug companies are also pushing research into therapeutic drugs, including Takeda Pharmaceuticals Co., which has announced plans to develop new drugs.

In this regard, Japan jiji News agency has analyzed that even if the drug and vaccine trials in The United States and Europe are successful, it will take time to establish a large-scale supply system.
Price setting for drugs and vaccines is also key to achieving universal access.
International medical-aid groups have also warned that patents on medicines and vaccines could lead to price increases and supply restrictions, and called on their governments to stop enforcing controls on patents and prices.