Gates Foundation gives $38m grant to Takeda for polio eradication

Takeda will use the funding tob develop, license and supply about 50 million doses per year of Sabin-strain inactivated poliovirus vaccine (sIPV) to over 70 developing countries.

The vaccine will be produced at Takeda’s plant in Hikari, Japan. The company’s sIPV was originally licensed from the Japan Polio Research Institute, which is now a part of BIKEN.

The deal is part of Takeda’s plans to use innovation and partnerships for addressing critical unmet needs in global public health, and the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in September last year.

Takeda vaccine business unit president Rajeev Venkayya said: "Takeda’s polio program demonstrates our commitment to tackle the most important public health problems and promote access for the populations in greatest need, joining our programs in dengue, norovirus, and hand, foot and mouth disease.

"We’re excited about this partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the potential to reach hundreds of millions of children around the globe as part of the final push to eradicate polio."

Polio is a crippling and potentially fatal infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It invades the nervous system and can result in irreversible paralysis in a matter of hours.

The disease can occur at any age, but it primarily affects children below five years old.