The Chinese biopharmaceutical company said that it has been developing the COVID-19 vaccine candidate since January 2020.
The firm claimed that its scientists have quickly completed comprehensive preclinical studies on the vaccine candidate alongside some major academic research institutes in China.
As part of their collaboration, an animal challenge study showed the coronavirus vaccine candidate to have protected the animals without antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), said Sinovac Biotech.
Additionally, the vaccine candidate can neutralize virus strains found across different countries, which the company expects to support the potential of using it to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus across the globe.
Sinovac Biotech chairman, president, and CEO Weidong Yin said: “At present, the whole world is facing an unprecedented public health crisis. It is a matter of urgency to develop an effective vaccine to control the spread of COVID-19 globally, as quickly as possible. Sinovac has been working closely with the regulators in China in order to make this happen.
“Sinovac has always been committed to developing vaccines for global use when facing pandemics.”
The Chinese firm is focused on research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of vaccines that provide immunity against human infectious diseases. The company’s product portfolio comprises vaccines against enterovirus71 (EV71), seasonal influenza, H1N1 influenza (swine flu), hepatitis A and B, H5N1 pandemic influenza (avian flu), mumps, and varicella.
In December 2019, Sinovac Biotech secured approval and a product license from the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its varicella vaccine for the prevention of the varicella-zoster virus in children aged between one and 12 years.