New Chinese mRNA vaccine for Covid shows positive early results

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A vaccine maker in China has announced initial positive results for its messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine, as Covid-19 spreads rapidly through a population that has so far been inoculated with more traditional vaccines.

CanSinoBio said on Friday (6) that its vaccine elicited 23 to 29 times more antibodies than an inactivated vaccine, when given as a booster to people who had already received three doses.

The “phase 2b” trial, with more than 400 people—which usually comes before a phase 3 gold standard trial—showed positive results against omicron variants BA.1 and BA.5.

CanSinoBio’s mRNA vaccine programs and that of rival Sinopharm are among the few in China that, if successful, could help the country tackle rising rates of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. But it could take many months for this vaccine to be approved.

A low uptake of boosters and less effective vaccines helped the virus spread quickly after the country abandoned its policy of strict lockdowns.

China vaccinated its population primarily with vaccines from Sinopharm and Sinovac, which use a killed virus to teach the human immune system how to react to future infection, rather than the genetic code contained in mRNA vaccines.

The two national vaccines were not as effective as the Western mRNA vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna, particularly in combating new variants.

China has not imported Western mRNA vaccines. Moderna has refused to hand over the key intellectual property behind its vaccine to Beijing, leading to a breakdown in negotiations.

BioNTech partnered with Chinese manufacturer Fosun International in 2020 to develop and market its vaccine in China, but it is not yet available to the general public. The German government has closed an agreement so that its citizens located in China can receive the vaccine.

CanSinoBio already has a vaccine against Covid-19 available in China and recommended by the World Health Organization as a safe and effective injection. In November, some Chinese cities began rolling out an inhalation version, sending their Hong Kong-listed shares up as much as 70%.

In testing their mRNA vaccine, more than half of the participants were over 60, and the older cohort tended to tolerate mild side effects better than the younger ones.

Seven days after vaccination, the participants’ neutralizing antibodies —which attack viruses—were 23 times higher against the BA.5 variant than in those who received the fourth dose of the same inactivated vaccine given earlier.

Shares in CanSinoBio rose 4% to HK$71.70 on Friday.

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