Four Chinese COVID-19 vaccines undergoing phase-3 clinical trials
Pub Date:2020-08-31 08:33 Source:China Daily
BEIJING -- Four Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidates have started
international phase-3 clinical trials, according to the State Council
joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19.
Some of the phase-3 trials are expected to complete the first round
of vaccinations in early September, with preliminary data expected as
early as November.
Phase-3 clinical trials usually involve thousands of people to verify
the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines, which are key to their
market approval.
As the epidemic has been brought under control in China, the country
no longer has conditions for large-scale clinical trials, so all the
phase-3 trials are being carried out overseas.
Two inactivated COVID-19 vaccines developed by the China National
Biotec Group (CNBG) have been approved for phase-3 clinical trials in
several countries in the Middle East and South America, involving more
than 30,000 people, according to Yang Xiaoming, president of the CNBG.
An inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Co Ltd
is undergoing phase-3 clinical trials in some countries in South America
and Southeast Asia, according to Yin Weidong, chairman and CEO of
Sinovac.
A recombinant COVID-19 vaccine with the modified defective adenovirus as the vector is also undergoing phase-3 trials.
According to a guideline for the clinical evaluation of COVID-19
vaccines recently released by the National Medical Products
Administration, the vaccine should provide immunity for at least six
months, preferably for more than a year.
A total of 10 COVID-19 vaccines have been approved to enter clinical
trials in China. In addition to the above four vaccines that have
entered phase-3 clinical trials, the rest include recombinant protein
vaccines, nucleic acid vaccines and vaccines using attenuated influenza
viruses as vectors.
A recombinant protein vaccine jointly developed by the Chinese
Academy of Sciences and a biopharmaceutical company in Anhui Province is
now undergoing phase-2 clinical trials.
Before mass production, all the vaccines will need to be strictly monitored and evaluated for safety and efficiency.
According to the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism
against COVID-19, China approved a trial scheme on June 24 for
emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines and gave the green light to two
vaccines for emergency use. On July 22, the country officially initiated
the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines.
Zheng Zhongwei, an official of the National Health Commission, said
that certain people with high risk of exposure to the virus, and who are
unable to take effective protection measures, can receive the emergency
vaccination.
However, those who have received the emergency vaccination should also take continuous protective measures.
Medical staff, epidemic prevention workers, immigration officers and
those ensuring basic operation of cities are eligible for emergency
vaccination.
Some people sent to work overseas have been injected with the
inactivated COVID-19 vaccines, along with certain medical personnel and
some people working in markets.