Vietnam May Consider Approval of Nanocovax COVID-19 Vaccine on Aug 15-20

Vietnamese health authorities may consider the approval of Nanocovax, the first homegrown COVID-19 vaccine developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC, for emergency uses, on August 15-20, local media reported. The information was released from a meeting between the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Science and Technology, local vaccine manufacturers, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 23. The third phase of the Nanocovax trial is expected to be complete on August 4-19. The health ministry has asked local experts to collaborate with the World Health Organization (WHO) experts to evaluate test results. Covivac, Vietnam’s second homegrown COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC), will have evaluations about immunogenicity on July 27, then move to the second phase of the vaccine trial on July 30 and the third phase from September this year. Together with the two homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, Vietnam would have two others per technology transfer deals. They are (i) one between Vingroup JSC (HOSE: VIC) and U.S. Arcturus Therapeutics, which is expected to start clinical tests in Vietnam in August and produce from 100 million to 200 million doses per year and (ii) one between AIC Group, Vaccine and Biological Production Company No. 1 (Vabiotech), and Japan’s Shionogi & Co., Ltd., which is scheduled to complete tests and debut in June next year. Vabiotech has also reached a deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) about packing Russian Sputnik V vaccine vials from semi-products. The firm is expected to have evaluations about its first tech batch of the vaccine doses produced in Vietnam on August 10. With the Sputnik V vaccine, Vabiotech is expected to produce five million doses per month, towards 100 million doses per year. In a bid to speed up COVID-19 vaccine production, Vietnamese agencies stated that they are willing to change rules related to urgent licensing for COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to slash administrative procedures and still meet the requirements about the quality. (Tuoi Tre, CafeF, NLD)