On Oct. 29, 2020, Takeda Pharmaceutical announced that it would import and distribute 50 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273, starting in the first half of 2021, pending licensure in Japan.

This effort was part of a three-way agreement among Takeda, Moderna and the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare (MHLW). Moderna had previously announced that the 30,000 participant Phase 3 clinical trial of mRNA-1273 at the 100 ﾵg dose level in the U.S. was fully enrolled.