Photo/Illutration Meiji Seika Pharma Co. in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward (The Asahi Shimbun)

A pharmaceutical company sued a lawmaker, saying he spread unfounded claims that its COVID-19 vaccine was a “bioweapon” and compared the firm to the notorious Unit 731 from World War II.

Meiji Seika Pharma Co. said on Dec. 25 it is seeking 10 million yen ($63,500) in damages from Kazuhiro Haraguchi, a Lower House member of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan.

According to the lawsuit filed at the Tokyo District Court, Haraguchi’s repeated defamatory remarks about the Replicon vaccine have significantly damaged the company’s reputation and finances.

Haraguchi said in a statement through his office, “I have not received the complaint and cannot comment at this time.”

According to Meiji Seika Pharma, Haraguchi has referred to the vaccine as a “bioweapon” on social media, such as X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, as well as in his own books since around June.

The company said the lawmaker also likened Meiji Seika Pharma to the Imperial Japanese Army’s Unit 731, which conducted experiments on live Chinese and Russian prisoners to develop biological weapons during World War II.

Meiji Seika Pharma said it received a flood of protest calls, forcing it to spend 1.2 million yen to deal with the complaints.

The company also said it lost more than 5.5 billion yen in potential profits from vaccine sales and suffered intangible damage from the harm to its reputation.

The lawsuit seeks 10 million yen to recover part of these losses.

At a news conference, Daikichiro Kobayashi, president of Meiji Seika Pharma, noted that the government has approved the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. But he said the lawsuit is not necessarily about challenging the scientific basis of Haraguchi’s claims.

“It is natural for people to feel uncertainty or concerns about new vaccines,” Kobayashi said.

However, he said Haraguchi’s series of remarks and actions as a lawmaker have gone beyond the bounds of acceptable opinion or commentary.

Meiji Seika Pharma said it had sent a warning letter to Haraguchi in October, urging him to stop making posts that damage the company’s credibility.

After seeing no improvement in the situation, the company decided to proceed with the lawsuit.

‘SELF-AMPLIFYING’ VACCINE

Replicon vaccine injections contain a portion of mRNA, which serves as a blueprint for human cells, to produce spike proteins of the novel coronavirus. This process triggers an immune response against infection or severe symptoms.

Since mRNA is designed to temporarily replicate within the body, Replicon is also called a “self-amplifying” vaccine.

In September, the government approved Replicon to target the Omicron subvariant JN.1. It has been used in routine vaccinations, mainly for elderly people, since October.

However, concerns have been raised mainly online that the vaccine’s components could possibly spread to unvaccinated people.

Some business operators have refused entry to Replicon-vaccinated people, and medical institutions administering the vaccine have been inundated with protest calls.

Meiji Seika Pharma countered in October, saying the claims against the vaccine were based on misinformation and lacked scientific basis.

In mid-October, three organizations, including the Japanese Society for Vaccinology, issued a statement saying there is no risk of transmitting the Replicon vaccine components to others.

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