Meiji Seika Pharma Partners with Serum Institute of India to Combat Japanese Encephalitis
TOKYO – In a significant move to bolster public health infrastructure, Japanese pharmaceutical giant Meiji Seika Pharma has announced a strategic partnership with the Serum Institute of India (SII) to introduce a Japanese Encephalitis vaccine to the Indian market.
The collaboration, confirmed by Meiji Seika Pharma’s Chief Operating Officer for the pharmaceutical segment, Toshiaki Nagasato, aims to leverage Japan’s advanced vaccine technology alongside the unmatched manufacturing scale and cost-efficiency of the Pune-based SII.
A Mission to Improve Vaccine Accessibility
Japanese Encephalitis remains a critical health challenge for children across several regions in India. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), while effective vaccines exist, ensuring widespread availability and affordability is paramount to combating the mosquito-borne disease.
“SII manufactures at the lowest cost. We believe SII will launch the vaccine at an affordable and accessible price point,” Nagasato said following a meeting with India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, in Tokyo this Monday.
Meiji Seika, which already markets the vaccine successfully in Japan, is now working closely with its Indian partners to navigate the regulatory landscape. “SII will take the required approval to provide the vaccine for children in India. We are hopeful that by next year, SII will move forward with the application process, and subsequently, they will lead the marketing of the vaccine,” Nagasato added. The Japanese firm is also advocating for expedited regulatory reviews to bring this life-saving preventative measure to Indian children as quickly as possible.
The partnership is not new; the two companies reached their first project milestone in April of last year, during which SII technical experts visited Japan to integrate Meiji Seika’s manufacturing protocols into their own high-capacity systems.
Expanding Footprint through Medreich
Beyond the vaccine initiative, Meiji Seika Pharma is signaling a renewed commitment to its Indian subsidiary, Medreich Pharma, which it acquired in 2014.
Nagasato indicated that the parent company is planning fresh investments into Medreich to scale up its generic drug manufacturing operations. While the specific financial details of the investment remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: to transform Medreich into a global hub for high-quality, affordable generics.
The expansion plan focuses on two fronts:
- Domestic Growth: Increasing the availability and product range of generic medications within the Indian market.
- Global Export: Bolstering supply chains to export pharmaceutical products to regulated markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and various nations across Europe and Africa.
By combining Japanese research and development expertise with India’s robust manufacturing capabilities, the partnership between Meiji Seika and SII represents a major step forward in strengthening the pharmaceutical trade ties between the two nations.
