Jakarta/Beijing: Indonesia said it has approved emergency use of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine developed by a Chinese company, becoming the first country ahead of China to do so.
The Food and Drug Agency of Indonesia (BPOM) has approved the use of valwax Biotechnology’s mRNA vaccine, which has been in development for more than two years and targets the original strain of the coronavirus.
The approval comes as a surprise, as Valvax, which has been conducting large late-stage trials of the vaccine in several countries including Indonesia, Mexico and China, has yet to publish efficacy readings that would show it is at risk for cases of COVID-19. How well can you reduce and deaths.
Agency chief Penny Lucito told reporters that the vaccine, now known as AWcornawas 71.17% effective against highly infectious omicron Differential and 83.58% against wild-type coronavirus strains considered normal and normal. He did not give details.
Walvax did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
China has several mRNA candidates in development but the Valvax vaccine is the only candidate in large late-stage clinical trials.
It was not immediately clear whether the newly approved shot would be widely used in Indonesia, where more than 63% of its population has been fully vaccinated. Health experts around the world also recommend using the so-called bivalent covid vaccinewhich target both the original strain and the Omicron variant.
Indonesia also uses mRNA COVID vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNtech and modernaBut according to its researchers, the AWcorna shot has a longer shelf life, which remains stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius for at least six months.
This could make the vaccine ideal for countries with poor logistics in remote areas. Indonesia is an archipelago of thousands of islands.
The vaccine’s less stringent storage requirements are suited to Indonesia, a tropical country, and can be used as both a primary and booster shot for adults, BPOM said.
The vaccine will be manufactured locally by Etana Biotechnology, an Indonesian firm.
Valvax co-developed the vaccine with Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and a Chinese military-backed institution.
Walvax and Suzhou Abogen are also separately working on their own mRNA candidates targeting coronavirus variants.
For its part, China has not approved any Western-made COVID shots and its approved vaccine portfolio does not yet include vaccines that specifically target the Omron variant.
The Food and Drug Agency of Indonesia (BPOM) has approved the use of valwax Biotechnology’s mRNA vaccine, which has been in development for more than two years and targets the original strain of the coronavirus.
The approval comes as a surprise, as Valvax, which has been conducting large late-stage trials of the vaccine in several countries including Indonesia, Mexico and China, has yet to publish efficacy readings that would show it is at risk for cases of COVID-19. How well can you reduce and deaths.
Agency chief Penny Lucito told reporters that the vaccine, now known as AWcornawas 71.17% effective against highly infectious omicron Differential and 83.58% against wild-type coronavirus strains considered normal and normal. He did not give details.
Walvax did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
China has several mRNA candidates in development but the Valvax vaccine is the only candidate in large late-stage clinical trials.
It was not immediately clear whether the newly approved shot would be widely used in Indonesia, where more than 63% of its population has been fully vaccinated. Health experts around the world also recommend using the so-called bivalent covid vaccinewhich target both the original strain and the Omicron variant.
Indonesia also uses mRNA COVID vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNtech and modernaBut according to its researchers, the AWcorna shot has a longer shelf life, which remains stable at 2-8 degrees Celsius for at least six months.
This could make the vaccine ideal for countries with poor logistics in remote areas. Indonesia is an archipelago of thousands of islands.
The vaccine’s less stringent storage requirements are suited to Indonesia, a tropical country, and can be used as both a primary and booster shot for adults, BPOM said.
The vaccine will be manufactured locally by Etana Biotechnology, an Indonesian firm.
Valvax co-developed the vaccine with Suzhou Abogen Biosciences and a Chinese military-backed institution.
Walvax and Suzhou Abogen are also separately working on their own mRNA candidates targeting coronavirus variants.
For its part, China has not approved any Western-made COVID shots and its approved vaccine portfolio does not yet include vaccines that specifically target the Omron variant.