China is concentrating on research into nCoV vaccines

China views the development of the nCoV vaccine as a "key political mission", with four out of 10 "candidates" moving rapidly to end-stage testing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly urged the country's scientists to accelerate the research and development of the nCoV vaccine. Chinese medicine makers were also asked to view their work as a "political important task".

As of October, four out of 10 Chinese Covid-19 vaccine "candidates" have entered Phase III - a worldwide clinical trial. This is the last and most important test step before applying for approval to the regulator.

Two of them are "candidates" developed by Biotech (CNBG). CNBG was originally a subsidiary of China National Pharmaceutical Corporation (Sinopharm), a state-owned unit. Another "candidate" is CoronaVac, developed by pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech. The last vaccine in a group of four is in Phase III, jointly developed by the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology with the Chinese military and vaccine company CanSino Biologics.

Research staff holding inactivated Covid-19 vaccine samples at Sinovac Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing, March 16. Photo: Zhang Yuwei / Xinhua.

Most Chinese experts expressed optimism and confidence that the "candidates" will soon give positive results. Currently, developers continue to collect large-scale clinical trial data, preparing to apply for marketing approval from relevant agencies.

Last month, CNBG President Yang Xiaoming said its vaccine production progress was "faster than expected". The company has a phase III clinical trial in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Peru, Morocco and Argentina, with a total of 42,000 participants. Speaking at a biotechnology conference in Wuhan, China, Mr. Yang confidently said that his company "is only a mile away from success".

Wu Guizhen, a biosafety specialist at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC China), told CCTV last month that the country's Covid-19 vaccine could be widely available. spread in November.

Yanzhong Huang, a global health expert, said the new vaccine that wants to be successful still needs international recognition and support, especially the scientific community.

On the other hand, the "candidates" approved for emergency use by China are still in phase III testing, not really finalized. Some experts worry that a quick follow-up to the usual approval process can leave volunteers with unspecified side effects. They argue that Chinese drug manufacturers are taking risks that are contrary to international safety and ethical standards.

Despite the official claims that the new vaccine is safe and effective, the decision to use it to inject many people on a large scale, especially before systematic data from phase III clinical trials gathered enough, maybe not a wise decision, "said Mr. Huang.

Recently, international experts have said that the US will hardly have a vaccine in time by the end of this year. Europe is in a similar situation, as there are insufficient data to conclude the safety and efficacy of the nCoV vaccine from end-stage clinical trials.