Chinese pharmaceutical group CanSino Biologics said demand for a Covid-19 vaccine in China was “decreasing” after China’s abrupt end to its tough zero-covid policy, citing the largest number of unvaccinated people. It highlights the challenges facing the sector in the rest of the market.
cansino When China lifted lockdown restrictions in early December, it was in the middle of rolling out an inhaled version of its coronavirus vaccine. has been added to dozens of domestic vaccines.
Yu Xuefeng, co-founder and chief executive of the Tianjin-based group, said it had deployed “millions of doses” before the “surprise end of zero Covid”. Yu added that the infected virus has outpaced the campaign. Estimate 80% of the population within a few weeks.
“We were aiming to deliver a vaccine as soon as possible to beat the virus. said in an interview.
Chinese health authorities advise infected patients to wait six months after recovery before receiving a booster dose. majority of the population virus infection in a short period of time.
CanSino is developing a messenger RNA vaccine candidate, which Yu said has shown “positive results.” Under Phase 2 clinical trials in China. The company said it demonstrated a “higher safety profile” and a stronger immune response than existing “inactivated” vaccine technologies. This could be the first mRNA product to be deployed for therapeutic use in China, subject to regulatory approval.
Beijing refuses to import BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna mRNA jab Despite studies showing that it offers higher levels and longer-lasting protection than the widely used inactivated vaccines made by Sinopharm and Sinovac in China.
CanSino has two R&D teams, one in Tianjin and the second in Shanghai, with over 200 employees working on developing and manufacturing mRNA Jabs. Yu said the group has built a manufacturing base in a coastal city in the south that produces about 100 million doses of the mRNA vaccine annually, with the option of scaling back if demand is weak.
Yu touts an mRNA vaccination as part of a list of booster shots to protect against the new Covid strain, much like the annual flu shot. He estimates the industry’s global annual revenue from Covid shots will be his $5 billion. “This is no small market,” he said.
CanSino announced last month that it is considering listing in Switzerland. This is part of a growing trend for Chinese groups to diversify their investor base away from the US and China.Hong Kong listed stock up 70% When they announced approval for an inhaled vaccine in November, but since then they’ve fallen 55% from that peak.
Additional reporting by Wang Xueqiao in Shanghai