Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has transferred its licence agreement with the Japan Health Sciences Foundation (HS Foundation) for worldwide patent rights of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (HPV vaccine) to the Chemo-Sero-Therapeutic Research Institute (Kaketsuken).

In October 2010, Takeda entered into an agreement with the Japan Health HS Foundation to develop the HPV vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer. Takeda subsequently conducted preclinical development of the vaccine candidate. Following the transfer of this licence agreement, Kaketsuken will continue research efforts to support future commercialisation of this vaccine.

“Takeda welcomes Kaketsuken’s interest in the development of this vaccine candidate as a potential new option to fight HPV,” said Rajeev Venkayya, MD, president, Takeda Vaccine Business Unit. “Through these agreements and our ongoing work on other vaccine programmes to address unmet medical needs, Takeda continues to contribute to public health in Japan and around the world.”

The HPV vaccine candidate was invented by Dr. Tadahito Kanda, who has long been involved in HPV vaccine research at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) of Japan. Dr. Kanda is now affiliated with the RIKEN institute.

Takeda has supplied vaccines to protect the health of people in Japan for more than 60 years. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Takeda’s global vaccine business was launched in January 2012.

JHSF assembles top researchers from industry, academia, and government and provides them with opportunities for joint research, functioning as a liaison between them or as a catalyst for progress in their research. At its Health Science Technology Transfer Center (HSTTC), a Technology Licensing Organisation approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan, JHSF oversees administration of patents and marketing and licencing for private sectors, including the registered members of HSTTC, with the aim of effectively utilising and returning to society the research results of the national research institutions under the MHLW.