TAK-021

TAK-021 is an inactivated, alum-adjuvanted whole-virus vaccine candidate targeting Enterovirus A71 (EV71), a major cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease and severe neurologic disease in children. Developed by Takeda, the vaccine is designed to induce broadly neutralizing antibodies that cross-protect against multiple heterologous EV71 subgenogroups by blocking viral interaction with the entry receptor scavenger receptor class B member 2 (SCARB2), thereby preventing infection. In a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 1 trial in healthy adults, TAK-021 was safe, well tolerated, and strongly immunogenic, eliciting robust neutralizing responses across diverse EV71 strains, supporting its further development as a pediatric vaccine for EV71-associated disease.[3][1][9][10]