TOKYO -- Japanese drugmaker Daiichi Sankyo aims to begin clinical trials of a vaccine booster candidate targeting the omicron variant of the coronavirus as soon as spring, hoping to file for authorization of the shot by April 2024.
A few domestic peers including KM Biologics and Shionogi also are racing to roll out homegrown omicron boosters. Japanese players trail U.S. rivals Pfizer and Moderna in creating bivalent boosters that offer protection against the omicron variant as well as the original virus strain.
