First Chinese mRNA vax for clinical trial

The producer is applying to start ARCoV’s Phase III trials overseas

BEIJING (Global Times) — The first China-developed mRNA Covid-19 vaccine is expected to enter Phase III clinical trials overseas next month, vaccine developer Suzhou Abogen Biosciences confirmed to the Global Times on Tuesday, another step forward in China’s vaccine development despite attacks from Western media on the efficacy of Chinese doses.

Production capacity for the new vaccine could reach some 120 million doses this year, according to the company’s founder Ying Bo, which will be a major breakthrough in domestic mRNA vaccines’ research and development.

It is believed that China’s vaccine options will be enriched if the mixed use of different types of vaccines — inactivated, mRNA, or adenovirus ones — can deliver a better performance, experts noted.

Being able to be stored and delivered in the usual range of 2-8 C will make this domestic ARCoV version stand out from Western-dominated mRNA vaccines made by pharmaceutical giants Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which require much lower temperatures and more rigorous temperature controls.

“From animal and clinical trial results, we see that ARCoV is fairly competitive with the other two mainstream mRNA vaccines in overseas markets,” Ying said during an interview with China National Radio on Tuesday.

In a report on animal studies published in the journal Cell, the research team at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, the new vaccine’s co-developer, found the vaccine is still effective after being stored for up to seven days at room temperature.

This allows ARCoV to significantly reduce the challenges of cold-chain transportation, and potentially offer a viable alternative for some developing countries facing difficulties in ultra-cold chain logistics, medical observers suggested.

“Technically, the producer may control the temperature with a conditioning modifier,” Feng Duojia, president of the China Vaccine Industry Association, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The producer is applying to start ARCoV’s Phase III trials overseas, likely in Latin American countries, expected in early May, said Ying.

Though there have been some debates among global researchers, some senior Chinese advisors — including Gao Fu, head of China’s Center for Disease Control — have encouraged the use of sequential inoculation with different types of vaccines.