Recent Articles in COVID-19

Two China biopharmas, Sinocelltech Group and Clover Biopharma, announced that their recombinant COVID-19 products were approved to launch under emergency rules. Shenzhou Cell Engineering, a unit of Beijing’s Sinocelltech, has developed a vaccine that showed efficacy against omicron strains BA.1 and BA.5 with potential use against future variants as well. Clover tested its candidate as an effective booster for people who had received two doses of an inactivated vaccine. At one point in 2021, GAVI, the UN vaccine alliance, had signed up to buy 414 million doses of the Clover vaccine booster. More details...

Stock Symbol: (SHA:688520)

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Moderna says it is “eager” to sell its mRNA Vaccine in China, but balks at the conditions China imposes: either Moderna must sign up with a China-based partner, transferring all its technology to the China company and allowing the China company to make the drug, or the company must build a China manufacturing facility, again with a China partner, which would not involve a technology transfer. Either way, Moderna assumes it would lose effective control of its IP, which it refuses to do, citing worries that its reputation would suffer if a partner produced unsafe/lower quality vaccines. More details....

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Nanjing Frontier Biotechnologies completed a $29 million private placement to underwrite development of its novel small molecule for COVID-19, bofutrelvir (FB2001). Bofutrelvir is a SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitor currently in clinical trials for hospitalized patients in need of post-exposure COVID-19 prophylaxis. Founded in 2013, Frontier is a commercial-stage biopharma that focusing on unmet medical needs for anti-HIV treatment and pain management. A total of 19 investors participated in the funding included Lord Abbett, UBS AG and Aeon Life. More details....

Stock Symbol: (SHA: 688221)

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Tianjin CanSino Biologics reported that an aerosolized version of its COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for China use as a COVID booster vaccine. CanSino pointed to preliminary study results showing the inhaled vaccine provided immunity after a single dose, but the company did not release detailed efficacy results.  The company’s COVID-19 vaccine, which is delivered by an adenovirus Type 5 vector, is 65% effective at preventing all symptomatic COVID-19 disease and 90% effective at preventing severe disease. CanSino partnered the COVID vaccine with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences. More details....

Stock Symbols: (SHA: 688185; HK: 06185)

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Shanghai Clover Biopharma reported its COVID-19 vaccine candidate met its primary endpoint in a global Phase II/III trial in adolescents (12 to 17 years). Following treatment with SCB-2019 (CpG 1018/Alum), adolescent trial participants experienced 2-fold higher neutralizing antibody titers compared to young adults (18 to 25 years). Previously, SCB-2019 proved to be highly protective against COVID-19 among young adults. Clover will seek approval in China, the EU and WHO for use of the vaccine across age groups as a COVID-19 vaccine and a universal COVID-19 booster vaccine. More details....

Stock Symbol: (HK: 02197)

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