Can China become a leading producer of Covid-19 vaccines?
- Coronavirus pandemic and the rise of its big players could be game-changer for Chinese vaccine industry, experts say
- Small, fragmented companies and a focus on domestic market have obscured the size of a sector which is one of the world’s largest
Three Chinese vaccines are now leading the race, with the privately-owned Sinovac and state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) both expecting interim data from their last stages of clinical trials by the end of this year.
In a press conference last Tuesday, Wang Tao, chief review officer of China’s regulator the National Medical Products Administration, said the approval process would be expedited when there was enough data to prove safety and efficacy, as well as evidence that manufacturing capabilities could meet quality standards.
But, ahead of any interim data being made available, hundreds of thousands have already been jabbed with experimental Covid-19 vaccines, after China granted controversial emergency use licensing (EUL) to the three front runners, with many people paying from their own pockets or having their employers meet the cost.
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In contrast, the US Food and Drug Administration has tightened its EUL requirements in response to rising pressure not to be seen to rush approvals to meet US president Donald Trump’s wish for a vaccine ahead of the November election. Under the new requirements, Pfizer said the interim data from its Phase 3 clinical trial was expected to be postponed to the third week of November, while Moderna also said its interim data would not be available until next month.