Sinovac applies for conditional approval of Covid-19 vaccine in China

‘China's medicine regulator is reviewing a second domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine for conditional approval. The CoronaVac inoculation, developed by Sinovac Biotech, has been given to tens of thousands of people in China under an emergency use program launched in July targeting specific groups with high infection risks. Regulators are also reviewing for approval a similar vaccine created by state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group, known as Sinopharm...

‘China's COVID-19 vaccines have won approval in a dozen countries for emergency use, but the failure to publish detailed trial data could undermine public trust, a leading Chinese researcher said in a recent interview.

‘Ding Sheng, dean of Tsinghua University's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and director of the Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI), called for the original clinical trial data from Chinese experimental vaccines to be made public so that experts can better assess their efficacy and eliminate lingering safety concerns in China and abroad.’

Read here (Nikkei, Feb 4, 2021)

Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine has 91% efficacy, Turkey says

‘Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine candidate has shown an efficacy of 91.25% in Turkey, officials said Thursday, reporting the latest results of clinical trials of the Chinese-developed shot beyond China. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca and professor Serhat Unal, a member of the government's COVID-19 advisory board, reported the preliminary results of Phase 3 trials at a news conference in Ankara.

‘Unal added that the efficacy "is likely to increase" in the later stages of the trials, as the number of volunteers now administered a placebo is lower than the number of volunteers who have been administered the vaccine, known as CoronaVac.’

Read here (Nikkei, Dec 25, 2020)

Malaysia likely to remain closed to tourists into 2021: Minister

‘Wary of recurring coronavirus waves, Malaysia may keep its borders closed to international tourists until the second quarter of next year, the minister responsible for the travel sector said in a recent interview. Nancy Shukri, the minister of tourism, arts and culture, said the government is now re-drafting a "green" list of countries deemed safe from the virus, as a first step. "We initially had a list of countries to be allowed in, but then we saw the second and third waves of coronavirus in some of these countries," she told the Nikkei Asian Review. "So we have to restrategize our plan."

Read here (Nikkei, August 26, 2020)

China's lead in coronavirus vaccines raises concern as well as hope

‘China has emerged as a leader in novel coronavirus vaccines, a development that will enhance it as a global power but also raises concerns over safety and the potential for Beijing to use its status in territorial disputes. The country has nine vaccine candidates in clinical trials, including five in Phase 3, the final stage of the process toward approval. This achievement is the result of years of state-led research on infectious diseases. Last week, Chinese drugmaker CanSino Biologics announced it would conduct a Phase 3 trial in Saudi Arabia with 5,000 volunteers. Of the 29 new vaccines in clinical trials around the world, nine are in China, the most of any country. Of the seven that are in Phase 3, China has five. Chinese vaccines are expected to be in practical use as early as the next few months.’

[This story is behind a paywall]

Read here (Nikkei Asian Review, August 17, 2020)

Alibaba's AI helps detect coronavirus pneumonia within a minute

‘Medical information provider M3 has tapped Alibaba Group Holding's artificial intelligence technology to develop a diagnostic system that can quickly identify COVID-19 pneumonia in CT scan images. The system, which is awaiting approval from the health ministry, holds promise as a supplementary testing tool as Japan struggles to expand capacity for PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests for the coronavirus.’

Read here (Nikkei, June 4, 2020)

Japan to subsidise 100% of salaries at small companies

‘Japan is working on a subsidy to ensure that temporarily idled small-business employees receive 100% of their wages during the current state of emergency, Nikkei has learned... The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to use an existing employment adjustment subsidy, which helps enterprises seeing no choice but to temporarily lay off workers continue to pay them, at least in part... As things stand, laid-off workers at companies that have halted operations are entitled to at least 60% of their regular pay. The government shoulders up to 90% of this to keep them from being dismissed outright, with the company chipping in the other 10%.’

Read here (Nikkei, April 24, 2020)