The Chinese State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) approved the first patent for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate –still in the third phase of testing– which could “be mass-produced in a short period of time,” the local press reported today.
This vaccine, developed by the Military Scientific Institute and Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics, began to be used in late June in the Chinese Army after a team led by researcher Chen Wei discovered a highly efficient neutralizing monoclonal antibody.
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The results of the second phase of the clinical trials of the vaccine demonstrated that it is safe and induces an immune response against the coronavirus, according to a research published in late July in The Lancet.
According to the SIPO patent, the vaccine has shown a “good immune response in mice and rodents, and can induce the body to produce a strong cellular and humoral immune response in a short time “, collects the Cantonese newspaper Southern Metropolis.
The patent ensures that this vaccine “can be mass-produced in a short period of time”, and that it is “quick and easy to prepare”.
Its safety and effectiveness must be confirmed in phase three, that takes place abroad, adds the information.
On the other hand, experts cited by the Global Times newspaper indicate that the granting of the patent demonstrates the “originality and creativity” of the vaccine, and that “it is likely that CanSino will also apply for a patent together with foreign authorities to protect its intellectual property rights during international cooperation.”
Research published in July in The Lancet found that more than 500 people were tested as a continuation of the first tests that were published last May, also with positive results, but that more phase III human trials will be needed, to confirm whether this candidate vaccine effectively protects against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection.
The authors stressed, however, that no participants in phase two tests were exposed to the virus after vaccination, so it is not yet possible to determine whether the vaccine candidate effectively protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
In total, the second phase of testing of this vaccine, which uses a weakened virus from the common cold – Adenovirus type 5, Ad5-nCoV – to supply genetic material, they were made with 508 participants.
CanSino Biologics developed together with the Chinese Military Academy of Sciences a vaccine against the Ebola virus that obtained a provisional license in 2017.
The company was created in 2009 in the northeastern city of Tianjin, and is primarily focused on vaccine development and production.
Typically, the period for a vaccine to be available for mass use is at least 12 to 18 months, depending on the World Health Organization (WHO)Although China has accelerated the processes due to the global health emergency and has allowed some studies to be carried out in several phases at the same time.
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