China’s CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited said on Wednesday that its COVID-19 mRNA vaccine received an emergency use license from Chinese health authorities, making it the first mRNA vaccine in the country where the coronavirus first emerged in 2019.

China has refused to use mRNA vaccines from overseas, and the vaccines available in China are widely considered less effective than Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines.

The approval came amid a decline in the number of coronavirus cases across the country after a surge in late 2022.

The CSPC said trials of the vaccine showed that the incidence of side effects was significantly lower in the elderly group compared to the general group of adults, which could be a boon for China, which highlights the need to focus on vaccination and strengthen its vulnerable elderly. Population.

The company said its independently developed SYS6006 mRNA vaccine targets some major Omicron variants, and its booster dose showed good neutralizing effect against the Omicron BA.5, BF.7, BQ.1.1., XBB.1.5, and CH subvariants. in clinical trials.

In a study of 4,000 participants from December 10 to January 18, when China was experiencing a wave of infections, the vaccine was 85.3% effective 14 to 28 days after the booster.

CSPC did not say how many doses it plans to produce. He said the vaccine it can be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius for a long time.

“The group has built a vaccine manufacturing plant. The main raw materials and auxiliary substances are produced in-house, which allows for independent control over the supply chain and significantly reduces production costs.

The company received emergency approval to conduct clinical trials of the mRNA vaccine last April, around the same time as CanSino, another Chinese company testing an mRNA booster vaccine against the Omicron variant.

Source: Reuters.