China approves first messenger RNA vaccine for emergency use
Beijing, Mar 22 (EFE).- Chinese pharmaceutical company CSPC said Wednesday its messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccine has received approval from Chinese authorities for emergency use, becoming the first of its kind authorized in the country.
The company informed the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed, that the country’s National Health Commission and National Administration of Medical Products gave the green light to its vaccine, called SYS6006, according to Sina news.
According to the company, a clinical study was carried out between Dec. 10, 2022 and Jan. 18, 2023, in which a protection of 70.2 percent was observed between the seventh and 28th day after immunization and 85.3 percent between the 14th and 28th day.
The study followed 4,000 cases of immunizations performed with SYS6006, in which “the incidence of adverse effects was relatively low and their severity mild.”
After the announcement, the value of the pharmaceutical company’s shares in the Hong Kong stock market rose 2.82 percent shortly after noon.
The vaccination campaign in mainland China has been based on vaccines produced by the national companies Sinovac, Sinopharm and CanSino, which use inactivated vectors of the adenovirus, one of the most traditional and safe vaccine platforms that exist but whose efficacy is less than that of the based on messenger RNA.
China has refused to use messenger RNA vaccines from abroad, a decision that has earned the country criticism from international experts.
On Jan. 8, authorities reduced the management of Covid-19 from category A – maximum danger level – to B, marking the end of the “Zero Covid-19” policy.
The lifting of restrictions was followed by a wave of infections across the country, during which there were moments of great hospital pressure.
At that time, some voices criticized a possible lack of preparation on the part of the authorities before relaxing the measures.
Between Dec. 8 and Feb. 9, the period that covers the withdrawal of the strictest prevention measures and the subsequent wave of infections, 83,150 deaths in hospitals related to Covid-19 were officially registered in China. EFE
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