IS CHINA GOING TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST CORONAVIRUS VACCINE? CHINA GRANTS VACCINE PATENT! DETAILS

China’s vaccine maker CanSino Biologics Inc has received a patent approval from Beijing for China’s first COVID-19 vaccine candidate. According to People’s Daily, the patent for vaccine Ad5-nCOV was granted by the country’s intellectual property regulator. The patent for the vaccine was reportedly submitted on March 18 and was approved on August 11st. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine patent that has been granted by China. 

The vaccine was prepared by modifying a common cold virus to carry genetic material from the new coronavirus into the body. It is similar to the method used by Oxford/ AstraZeneca vaccine 

Both of these vaccines have administered antibody and T- cell immune responses in volunteers. The T- cells help in protecting the immune system against invaders such as viruses in our bodies. 

CanSino’s COVID-19 vaccine has received permission from China’s military for being used by the military. However, it has not gone into mass production yet. At the same time, large- scale testing which is required to prove the efficiency of the vaccine, is not being held. 

“Saudi Arabia said this month it plans to begin Phase III clinical trials for the CanSino vaccine. CanSino has said it is also in talks with Brazil and Chile to launch Phase III trials in those countries,” Livemint reported.