Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Nov 3, 2024 2:27:02 GMT
Japan pharma mulls suing lawmaker who likened new COVID vaccine to 'biological weapon' - Published Nov 2, 2024
TOKYO -- A Japanese pharmaceutical firm has revealed that it is considering filing a lawsuit seeking damages from a lawmaker who has been critical about the company's new coronavirus vaccine, describing it as being "like a biological weapon" in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The replicon vaccine, which is sold by Meiji Seika Pharma Co. under the product name "Kostaive," has been put into practical use in this fall's routine inoculations against COVID-19 for the first time. The distributor is considering demanding compensation from Kazuhiro Haraguchi, a House of Representatives member belonging to the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, claiming that he has defamed the company's reputation by repeatedly expressing disapproval of the drug without scientific evidence.
According to Meiji Seika Pharma and other sources, Haraguchi described the replicon vaccine, which is designed to replicate messenger RNA in cells, as being "like a biological weapon" in a post on his X account. The company sent him a written warning in early October. However, in his campaign bulletin for the Oct. 27 lower house election, Haraguchi wrote, "It is no exaggeration to say that we are being used as guinea pigs when an unknown vaccine is approved only for Japan."
In an opinion released on Oct. 31, Meiji Seika Pharma stated, "We believe that such remarks by a Diet member run the risk of disrupting the foundation of science communication, which is based on objectivity guaranteed by the national government's intervention in medicine and scientific nature, and that they pose a major problem with regard to public health."
The company says that the timing of the lawsuit is "under consideration."
The Mainichi Shimbun asked Haraguchi for comment, but had not received a response as of 5 p.m. on Nov. 1.
(Japanese original by Yoshimi Nakamura, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)
TOKYO -- A Japanese pharmaceutical firm has revealed that it is considering filing a lawsuit seeking damages from a lawmaker who has been critical about the company's new coronavirus vaccine, describing it as being "like a biological weapon" in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The replicon vaccine, which is sold by Meiji Seika Pharma Co. under the product name "Kostaive," has been put into practical use in this fall's routine inoculations against COVID-19 for the first time. The distributor is considering demanding compensation from Kazuhiro Haraguchi, a House of Representatives member belonging to the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, claiming that he has defamed the company's reputation by repeatedly expressing disapproval of the drug without scientific evidence.
According to Meiji Seika Pharma and other sources, Haraguchi described the replicon vaccine, which is designed to replicate messenger RNA in cells, as being "like a biological weapon" in a post on his X account. The company sent him a written warning in early October. However, in his campaign bulletin for the Oct. 27 lower house election, Haraguchi wrote, "It is no exaggeration to say that we are being used as guinea pigs when an unknown vaccine is approved only for Japan."
In an opinion released on Oct. 31, Meiji Seika Pharma stated, "We believe that such remarks by a Diet member run the risk of disrupting the foundation of science communication, which is based on objectivity guaranteed by the national government's intervention in medicine and scientific nature, and that they pose a major problem with regard to public health."
The company says that the timing of the lawsuit is "under consideration."
The Mainichi Shimbun asked Haraguchi for comment, but had not received a response as of 5 p.m. on Nov. 1.
(Japanese original by Yoshimi Nakamura, Lifestyle, Science & Environment News Department)