Advisor calls for building of biosafety science and industry innovation center

Top Chinese infectious disease expert Chen Wei, whose team developed a COVID-19 vaccine that recently showed promising early results as published on The Lancet, called for the building of a national biosafety science and industry innovation center to promote biosafety development and to benefit the public.

Chen, also a member of the National Committee of the CPPCC, proposed the building of the center during this year’s two sessions.

“My proposal this year is to build a national biosafety science and industry innovation center. Decades of experience in research, especially the experience of Wuhan, make me feel that we have to achieve real innovation in the field of biosafety and quickly promote these achievements to benefit the public,” Chen was quoted as saying in a program on China Central Television.

A research team led by Chen arrived in Wuhan on January 26 to support the local battle against COVID-19.

On March 16, an adenovirus vector vaccine developed by Chen’s team became the first domestically developed COVID-19 candidate vaccine to enter clinical trials.

On May 22, the vaccine became the first in the world to disclose complete phase one clinical trial results and declare a dual immune response in recipients, representing a significant milestone in its results and boosting confidence for current and prospective volunteers in clinical trials.

Wang Chen, president of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and a CPPCC member, called for the acceleration of an innovative system in medical science.

He proposed a high-level medical science academy to coordinate qualified sources and foster strategic forces in medical science, the Xinhua News Agency reported May 20.