Meiji Seika Pharma filed a lawsuit against the legislature over “baseless” claims about the vaccine

Meiji Seika Pharma has filed a lawsuit against Kazuhiro Haraguchi, a member of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Constitutional Party, saying his comments about the company’s new COVID-19 vaccine have greatly damaged its reputation.

The pharmaceutical company, which produces a state-of-the-art COVID-19 vaccine known as the replicon vaccine, is seeking 10 million yen in damages, according to media reports. Haraguchi’s comments that the vaccine is “similar to a biological weapon” are unfounded and cannot be tolerated, the company said in a press conference on Wednesday.

“Since (he is) a member of parliament with immunity from arrest and various other privileges, I believe this situation can no longer be left unaddressed,” said Daikichiro Kobayashi, chairman of Meiji Seika Pharma.