List: 3 leading vaccines from China against COVID-19, now on Phase III human trials

WHO's LIST: The World Health Organisation's vaccine "landscape" document (updated as of July 31, 2020), lists three Chinese vaccine makers among the front-runners. All three are already undertaking Phase III trials. This phase in the clinical trials involves thousands of volunteers to test the efficacy and safety of the candidate shots among a much wider age group and community. There are actually five Chinese vaccine projects among the frontrunners, if you include Fosun Pharma (working with Pfizer/BioNTec) whose mRNA vaccine candidate is also on Phase III trials, as well as Cansino/Beijing Institite of Biotechnology, now on Phase II.

FRONTRUNNERS: If a Made-in-China vaccine wins the COVID-19 vaccine race, or gets past Phase III trial ahead of the rest, the enormous propaganda value of that feat is beyond doubt. Countries with their own COVID-19 vaccine programme would use the antidote their own scientists developed and mass produced by their own drug companies, granted that they work the same way as others.

FILE PHOTO: Chinese vaccine maker CanSino Biologics' sign is pictured on its building in Tianjin, China November 20, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT.

INACTIVATED VACCINE PLATFORM: A Sinopharm vaccine under development. The China-based pharmaceutical firm has initiated a Phase III clinical trial to assess its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The candidate is said to be the world’s first inactivated vaccine to enter a Phase III trial. A similar trial is planned in Brazil. Sinopharm and Brazil's Parana state said they have agreed to launch the fourth major COVID-19 vaccine trial in Brazil and will seek regulatory approval.

IMMUNITY TRIGGER: The vaccine frontrunners from China use the tried-and-test inactivated vaccine (or killed vaccine) platform. It is a vaccine consisting of virus particles that have been grown in culture and then lose disease producing capacity. Inactivated whole-cell vaccines have no risk of inducing the disease they are given against as they do not contain live components. Several doses of inactivated whole-cell vaccines may be required to evoke a sufficient immune response. In this April 10, 2020 photo released by Xinhua News Agency, a staff member holds up a sample of a potential vaccine. On July 17, 2020, Sinopharm has initiated a Phase III clinical trial to assess its COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Abu Dhabi. The UAE has enrolled more than 10,000 people in the third phase of vaccine trial, with volunteers from 20 different nations coming forward. Brazil, has made itself global testing ground for potential vaccines.

VACCINE TRIAL REGISTRATION IN THE UAE: A purpose-built registration, screening and testing facility has been set up at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Volunteers must be aged 18-60 years and should not have had COVID-19 in the past. A dedicated website to register vaccine trial volunteers.

The world’s first Phase III trials for an inactivated vaccine against the coronavirus have already begun in the UAE, with an increasing number of residents showing their interest in defeating the COVID-19 pandemic. While the vaccine itself has been developed by Chinese pharmaceutical giant, Sinopharm China National Biotec Group, the trials are being run in the UAE by G42 Healthcare. So far, more than 10,000 people have registered to participate in the trials, the administrative and medical portions of which are being carried out by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha). The process is being overseen by the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DoH) and the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention.

The WHO lists Sinovac among the six frontrunners in the global COVID-19 vaccine developmen. It uses an inactivated vaccine platform, and administered in two doses, 14 days apart.

Sinopharm, working alongside Beijing Institute of Biological Products, is also in the final Phase III trials for its COVID-19 vaccine, which is planned in two doses. One type is administered 14 days apart, while another is planned 21 days apart.