Takeda has revealed in a release that its plan to launch a Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine in Japan has been terminated. GlaxoSmithKline, the only manufacturer of the vaccine, has ended production of Vaxem Hib. Currently only marketed in South Korea, Vaxem Hib was manufactured at GSK's Rosia, Italy facility.
In early 2016, Takeda won approval for Vaxem Hib in children from 2 months old to under 5 years old in Japan and today was ready to launch until GSK pulled the plug. According to Takeda, it proposed other solutions that were deemed unfeasible by GSK.
In 2009, Takeda acquired the rights to Vaxem Hib in Japan from Novartis and in 2015, the vaccine rights were transferred to GSK.