China approves CSPC, CanSino mRNA vaccines for clinical trial, boosting country’s arsenal against raging Omicron outbreak

Name: Shanghai locks down western bank of Huangpu River as Covid fight continues in China’s biggest city
Uploaded: 2022-04-04T04:06:18.000Z
Duration: 3 min 32 s
Description: Shanghai locks down western bank of Huangpu River as Covid fight continues in China’s biggest city

CanSino Biologics and CSPC Pharmaceutical were approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China to commence trials, boosting their shares

Chinese companies are racing to use mRNA to fight the coronavirus and offer viable alternatives to the vaccines already in production by Pfizer and Moderna

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A billboard promoting vaccinations outside a shopping mall in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Iris Ouyang

Published: 12:06pm, 4 Apr 2022Updated: 6:19pm, 4 Apr 2022

China’s health authorities have approved clinical trials of two Covid-19 vaccines that use mRNA, potentially adding an option to the nation’s arsenal in its battle against the pandemic’s worst outbreak since 2020.

CanSino Biologics and CSPC Pharmaceutical have been approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA) to commence trials, according to statements by the two companies.

CanSino’s stock price in Hong Kong closed 5.9 per cent higher at HK$132.90 on Monday morning. CSPC Pharmaceutical gained 5.2 per cent to HK$9.30.

The approvals add CanSino and CSPC to the race among Chinese companies to use messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for generating immune cells to fight the coronavirus, possibly offering viable alternatives to the vaccines already in production by international peers Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna.

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Shanghai locks down western bank of Huangpu River as Covid fight continues in China’s biggest city

One mRNA vaccine called ARCoVax – developed by the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and Walvax Biotechnology – is already in the final stages of global human trials.

It comes as China battles its worst outbreak of the coronavirus in two years. The commercial capital of Shanghai is in lockdown, as the nation recorded 1,366 confirmed cases and 11,771 asymptomatic cases on Sunday.