China approves human testing for a potential coronavirus vaccine

On August 22, China approved human testing of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine manufactured from cultivated insect cells, local government in the southwestern city of Chengdu said in a statement. The insect-based vaccine was developed by the West China Hospital of Sichuan University in Chengdu and was approved by the National Medical Products Administration to enter into the human clinical trial stage. China has eight other vaccines in different stages of clinical trials according to reports. Insect cells used in the potential vaccine to manufacture protein could enhance the large-scale production, the city government of Chengdu said in a notice, as per reports.

The vaccine was tested on monkeys, and had promising results to compromise the SARS-CoV-2 strain in the patient’s body without side-effects, the notice added. As per the health experts, the vaccine uses insect cells to multiply in the culture medium and introduces the gene of COVID-19 into insect cells. Therefore, post the infusion, the cell would transform into an entity that speeds the production of the high-quality recombinant vaccine proteins, according to reports. The insect cell in the vaccine also purifies the protein for refinement. Earlier, the development and marketing of cervical cancer and influenza insect-based vaccines in Europe and the US has demonstrated its successful results and thus backs the safety of COVID-19 insect-based vaccine. 

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China's Bio Farma to begin phase III trials

Earlier, China’s Sinovac collaborated with Indonesia's state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma to begin phase III, the final clinical trials for the Chinese experimental COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac next month. PT Bio Farma (Persero) COVID-19 vaccine trials will involve 1,620 participants. Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech Ltd announced the manufacture of at least 2,400 dosages of vaccines if the trials are successful, according to reports.  Bio Farma Research & Development Project Integration Manager Dr. Neni Nurainy was quoted as saying that the vaccines will be internally tested at Bio Farma's lab, but the clinical trial will be carried out by Padjadjaran University. Further, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, said that pharmaceutical holding company Bio Frama is expected to produce 250 million doses of the Sinovac coronavirus vaccine per year by the end of 2020.  

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(Image Credit: PTI)