BRIEF — Daiichi and Kaketsuken end vaccines agreement

Japanese companies Daiichi Sankyo and The Chemo-Sero-Therapeutic Research Institute – known as Kaketsuken – have announced the termination of their cooperative sales agreements for the influenza hemagglutinin vaccine Kaketsuken and the recombinant adsorbed hepatitis B vaccine, Bimmugen.

Both vaccines are manufactured by Kaketsuken and distributed via the sales companies. Daiichi Sankyo has performed the latter function for Bimmugen since August 2014 and for Kaketsuken since May 2015.

A statement from the companies said that they had “strived to expand the utilization of both products since then” but had decided to terminate the agreements after a review of sales strategy and discussions.

The Kaketsuken agreement has already come to an end, but for Bimmugen it will keep running until March 31, 2019.