China's mRNA vaccines ready to hit market by end of 2021

A researcher displays an experiment to develop an mRNA vaccine targeting the novel coronavirus in east China's Shanghai. /Xinhua

China will be able to produceits own revolutionary vaccines by the end of 2021, usinggenetic technology to stimulate the immune system, said Feng Duojia, president of the China Association of Vaccines.

The Chinese vaccines currently in use are inactivated vaccines, takingdead matter from the coronavirus to stimulate the immune system. However, the radical new vaccines will usemessenger RNA to copy the virus's genetic profile and train the body into mounting an immune response.

Suchtechnology enjoys manyadvantagessuch as shorter development time for combating viral variants, and better biosafety for not handling live viruses duringthe production process.

Feng said an mRNA vaccine jointly developed by the Academy of Military Science (AMS), Walvax Biotechnology and Suzhou Abogen Biosciences, has completed its phase 1 and 2 clinicaltrials with "satisfactory" results. Plans for phase 3 clinical trials in multiple overseas sitesare alsounderway and expectations were "very good." Last December, Walvax started building a production facility with a first-phase annual capacity of 120 million doses.

In March, another Chinese mRNA vaccine jointly developed by Shanghai-based biotechnology company Stemirna Therapeutics and Shanghai East Hospital, started human clinical trials, only two months after it obtained regulatory approval.

So far, China's homemade COVID-19 vaccines have gained global recognition. Sinopharm's first vaccine has received emergency use approvals in nearly 30 countries, including Bahrain, Guyana, Hungary, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates. Hungary was the first European Union country to approve a Chinese vaccine, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán among those who have received it.

Several countries have also approved Sinovac's CoronaVac jab for emergency use, including Brazil, Chile (where the vaccine has been trialed), Indonesia, Laos, Mexico and Turkey. Mexico and Pakistan have given emergency use approval to the CanSinoBIO vaccine. The Anhui Zhifei Longcom vaccine has received approval for use in Uzbekistan.