Sinovac: WHO experts to assess company's vaccine facility next week

02:14

Chinese drug company Sinovac Biotech's CEO Yin Weidong said that the World Health Organization (WHO) would evaluate its vaccines in Beijing next week.

The company is one of the three Chinese firms that have submitted applications to COVAX – the global COVID-19 vaccine mechanism initiated by the WHO for equitable distribution of vaccines. In an exclusive interview with CGTN, Yin said Sinovac had submitted an application to COVAX with multiple procedures and documents.

"Sinovac received a bid invitation from COVAX on November 12, 2020. We registered as a supplier in the United Nations Global Market Place, or UNGM, on December 2. Then on December 22, we submitted bidding documents to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNIVEF)," Yin said.

"On January 13, we submitted an application for the WHO's Emergency Use List with pharmaceutical materials and clinical trials documents. The documents do not include phase-3 trial materials, which are still being prepared."

"The WHO has already sent a team to assess our production quality, as part of the Good Manufacturing Practice assessment. They're already in China. They're expected to assess our COVID-19 vaccine between February 15 and 21. If we can pass the GMP assessment, and our research results can be recognized by relevant international organizations, then we can supply vaccines to COVAX," he added.

But Yin calls for faster coordination when it comes to multilateral cooperation on vaccines.

"We've already participated in multilateral cooperation schemes. I hope we can gain support from these international organizations. Can cooperative agreements move faster?" he said.

Sinovac's COVID-19 vaccine has been granted "conditional market approval" by the Chinese government last Friday, becoming the second COVID-19 vaccine to receive such approval in China. Yin said that requires the company to conduct further researches.

"The core of conditional market approval is that we must continue relevant research after the approval. We must focus on the persistence of immunity, vaccine efficacy, and increasing the list of who can get vaccinated. For example, now a vaccine takes two jabs. We need to examine whether or not a third shot is needed, and then adjust the immunization schedule accordingly," he said.