China’s Synopharm says its coronavirus vaccine is 79% effective

Although little details were provided, a statement released Wednesday said the vaccine meets the standards of the World Health Organization and China’s own regulator, the National Medical Products Administration.

One step closer to a massive rollout

Synopharm’s results were announced weeks after its global competitors. And with the lack of details, it remains unclear whether the information provided will be sufficient to dispel doubts about the quality of Chinese vaccines.

Nevertheless, the announcement could still pave the way for a large-scale rollout of the vaccine within China and globally.

China is ready to send hundreds of millions of doses to countries that have undergone last-stage tests for its leading vaccine candidates. Chinese leaders have also promised a growing list of priority consumption of developing countries.

Beijing is using the global campaign as a soft power tool, analysts say, to try to repair the damage to its image from the early misuse of its early coronavirus epidemic.

China has five coronavirus candidates from four companies that have reached Phase 3 clinical trials, the last and most important step of testing before seeking regulatory approval. After largely eradicating the spread of coronavirus within its borders, Chinese drug manufacturers had to look abroad for locations to test the effectiveness of their vaccines. Together, they have launched Phase 3 trials in at least 16 countries.

Synopharm’s two vaccine candidates are undergoing phased 3 tests in 10 countries, mostly in the Middle East and South America.

Compared to Pfizer and Moderna, synoform vaccines do not need to have a cold temperature for storage, transport and distribution are much easier – especially in developing countries that lack cold storage capacity.