Promising coronavirus vaccine candidate from China in talks to be tested globally – Times Now

Promising coronavirus vaccine candidate from China in talks to be tested globally  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

New Delhi: As the race towards a vaccine against novel coronavirus intensifies, the drugmaker firm behind one of China's most promising vaccine candidates is proposing to conduct late-stage trials of the vaccine globally.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is in discussions with regulatory bodies in other countries, and the WHO, to launch phase 3 trials of the vaccine in regions where the virus is spreading rapidly.

To evaluate whether the vaccine can give protection, we need to study the relationbetween disease incidence and vaccination, Yin said. You cant do that when there are no cases., CEO Yin Weidong said in an interview Thursday.

China has largely reduced the growth of new infections in the country and the drugmakers now need to seek international cooperation to test their vaccine candidates. Politically, it may be a struggle given the tensions between China and other countries, like the USA, about the origin of the virus. No specific countries were mentioned by Yin, but he hinted that the US may be an ideal location. The U.S. has the most developed biotech industry, the most sophisticated regulatory framework and its epidemic is now the worst, he said.

Sinovac is of the three Chinese companies that are on top of their game to stop the coronavirus pandemic. More than a hundred vaccines are reportedly under development around the world, but only 10 of them have reached the final stage of human testing.The coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 3.9 million people worldwide, while more than 2,75,000 people have lost their lives due to the virus. A working vaccine is the best hope for the world, especially counties that are the worst affected due to the virus, and are seeing repercussions of the pandemic on their economy and normal life of citizens. However, vaccines take years to develop and still do not exist for various diseases like Malaria and HIV.

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Promising coronavirus vaccine candidate from China in talks to be tested globally - Times Now