One of the promising Coronavirus vaccine candidates, which has been developed in China is now expected to be available as soon as the end of 2020. The news was revealed in the official WeChat account of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
The potential vaccine was developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products and China National Biotec Group Co. The vaccine has completed phase II testing and as per the recent report, it may get ready for the commercial launch at the end of this year or early next year.
Chinese Vaccine
As per the report, the production line for the vaccine will be fully disinfected and closed in preparation for output to start on Saturday. It was also claimed that the potential vaccine will have a full manufacturing capacity of 100 million-120 million vaccines each year.
It should be noted that a total of five vaccines developed by Chinese companies are being tested on humans. Chinese health authorities, drug regulators, and research institutes have been working with local companies to produce the world's first successful COVID-19 vaccine.
The phase III testing of the vaccine needs to be done in a place where the SARS-CoV-2 is still spreading rapidly. It should be noted that an effective vaccine against the deadly virus, which killed over 365,000 people globally, needs massive production capabilities to meet global distribution demands.
However, the Chinese researchers working on a COVID-19 vaccine said that they are "99 percent" sure it will be effective. The biotech company Sinovac currently has its COVID-19 vaccine in stage-two trials, with over 1,000 volunteers taking part in the experiment. As per the company, it is now planning to hold stage three trials - the final part of the trials process - in the U.K., reported Sky News.
Before China, Will Someone Else Make a Breakthrough?
The U.S. drugmaker, Pfizer has said that a novel Coronavirus vaccine could be ready by October. The firm is now conducting the clinical trials along with German company BioNTech on several probable vaccines in Europe and the U.S. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said, "If things go well, and the stars are aligned, we will have enough evidence of safety and efficacy so that we can...have a vaccine around the end of October."
A report by Times of Israel revealed that the head of AstraZeneca, a U.K. drug firm, Pascal Soriot said that one or more COVID-19 vaccines could start rolling out by the end of 2020. As per the reports this company is working in partnership with the University of Oxford to develop and distribute a vaccine being piloted in the U.K.
Even though experts remain unconvinced that a vaccine proven to be safe and effective against the virus will be available this calendar year, Merck and Novartis two more companies joined the race to find a Coronavirus vaccine. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, told CNBC, "I think we'll have to have one more cycle of this virus in the fall, heading into the winter, before we get to a vaccine. "I really think a vaccine is probably a 2021 event, in terms of having wide availability of a vaccine for the general population."
