In the latest of a string of partnerships forged this year, Daiichi Sankyo is teaming up with Sanofi's ($SNY) Japanese unit to launch Squarekids subcutaneous injection syringe, a tetravalent vaccine for the prevention of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and polio.
Squarekids will be rolled out on Dec. 9, the Japanese pharma announced in a statement. The jab combines Daiichi's DPT vaccine and Sanofi's inactivated polio vaccine, and was submitted for Japanese regulatory approval in early 2013. It is manufactured in Japan by Daiichi.
This collaboration follows other partnerships, including an exclusive license to market AstraZeneca's ($AZN) FluMist Quadrivalent in Japan, inked in September. The companies stayed mum on the financial details, but the nasally delivered vaccine had undergone Phase III trials in Japan and AstraZeneca was preparing a regulatory submission for Japan.
In May, Daiichi made another flu-related pact, teaming up with Takeda to distribute one of the Chemo-Sero Therapeutic Research Institute's (Kaketsuken) flu vaccines. Beginning with this year's flu season, the companies are distributing Kaketsuken's seasonal flu shot alongside their other offerings.
Daiichi has other influenza vaccines in its pipeline as well as an MMR vaccine, and a DPT-HiB shot.
- here's the release