BEIJING: Pakistan's ambassador to China Moin Ul Haque on Wednesday informed the Chinese firm CanSino Biologics Inc that the country will be approaching the regulatory authorities to put measures for obtaining compliance of the coronavirus vaccine made by the pharmaceutical company.
The ambassador gave the assurance during a visit to the headquarters of Tianjin-based CanSino Biologics Inc. During the visit, Haque met with the company's Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO Yu Xuefeng .
The two officials expressed satisfaction at the Stage III clinical trials of CanSino COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Pakistan with local partner AJM Pharma.
The officials agreed that as the trials were nearing completion, relevant measures for regulatory compliance in line with the laws and regulations of Pakistan would be brought regarding the vaccine.
The meeting was also attended by Senior Vice President of CanSino International Business Operation, Pierre Armand Morgon via video link from Lausanne, Switzerland.
Last month it was reported that 13,000 people have already volunteered for the coronavirus vaccine trials across the country.
The first human trials of the vaccine, developed by the Chinese company CanSino Biologics Inc, started on September 22 in Pakistan. Since then, the country has administered the experimental jab to 13,000 people, Dr Ejaz Khan, chairman of infection control at Shifa Hospital in Islamabad, who is also overlooking the trials, told Geo.tv.
The vaccine trials are being conducted at five centres in Pakistan — two in Karachi, two in Lahore and one in Islamabad.
Dr Khan added that an earlier target of giving the jab to over 10,000 people at least in Pakistan, has now been revised. The new target for the country is 18,000.
In China, five coronavirus vaccines are in the final stages of development.
According to Reuters, China plans to vaccinate 50 million people before the start of Lunar New Year in February, for which it has granted emergency-use status to two candidate vaccines from Sinopharm and one from Sinovac Biotech.
The fourth candidate, the vaccine being developed by CanSino Biologics Inc, has been approved for military use.
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