Coronavirus: Hong Kong approves clinical trials for 3 Chinese vaccines targeting Omicron
- Sinovac Biotech says city was first to approve trials for its new vaccine
- China National Biotec Group has also developed two inactivated vaccines for the Omicron variant
Sinovac Biotech, whose inactivated vaccine based on the original strain of the virus is among the two vaccines currently being offered in Hong Kong, received approval papers to conduct clinical trials for an Omicron-specific one on Thursday, according to a statement from the company on Saturday.
The vaccine was based on strains obtained in December, including one isolated by the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
The company said the city was the first to approve its vaccine for clinical trials after it applied in several countries and regions.
Separately, China National Biotec Group, which is part of Sinopharm, said its two inactivated vaccines for the Omicron variant developed by its Beijing and Wuhan institutes had received approval to conduct clinical trials from the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The studies will evaluate the safety of the jabs and their ability to generate an immune response in adults who have received two or three doses of a Covid-19 vaccine before, according to a statement.