WHO grants approval for CanSino vaccine

A single-dose COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's CanSino Biologics received an emergency use authorization from the World Health Organization on Thursday.

The adenovirus vector vaccine, named Convidecia, is the 11th worldwide and the third in China to receive the clearance that paves the way for wider procurement and distribution of the product around the world, especially in developing countries.

The vaccine has been found to be 92 percent effective against severe COVID-19 and 64 percent effective in preventing people from getting symptoms of the disease, and is recommended for use in people aged 18 and above, according to the WHO.

"This approval will greatly contribute to the expansion of vaccine access to underserved populations around the globe, representing a significant milestone for CanSino Biologics and further demonstrating our efforts in the anti-pandemic fight," Yu Xuefeng, chairman and CEO of the company, said in a news release on Thursday.

The WHO authorization is a prerequisite for vaccine makers to provide supplies to COVAX, an international program that distributes vaccines to low and middle-income countries to boost global vaccine equity.

Chao Shoubai, chief operating officer of the company, told China Daily that it is in talks with Switzerland-based COVAX on a purchase agreement, as well as Pakistan, Indonesia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and the African Union regarding supply plans.

Chao said that its manufacturing capacity currently stands at 400 to 500 million doses annually.

The company is also developing a new vaccine that can deliver broad protection against the novel coronavirus－including its mutated strains－based on available trial results.

"If approved, production capacity for the inhaled vaccine can reach 2 billion doses annually," he said.