Coviccine? --Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Sf9 cell) by WestVac Biopharma is Available for Vaccination in Yunnan
2023-03-28
Recently, the Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Sf9 cell) - Coviccine® developed by WestVac Biopharma Co., Ltd. and West China Hospital of Sichuan University was launched at several vaccination sites in Yunnan. As one of the recommended vaccines in the national Immunization Schedule for Second COVID-19 Booster Dose (fourth dose), Coviccine® has excellent broad-spectrum immune protection against multiple mutant strains.
According to ZHANG Fengyuan, Chief of the Department of Planned immunization, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xundian County, Kunming City, after the initial infection with SARS-CoV-2, specific antibodies will be produced in the body, but over time, the protection of antibodies will decline. If the patient has a weak immune system and pays less attention to personal protection, the chances of a second infection will increase; it is necessary to give a second booster dose to the population in a timely manner.
The Immunization Schedule for Second COVID-19 Booster Dose (hereinafter referred to as “the Immunization Schedule”) specifies that preference will be given to sequential booster vaccination, or a second booster dose with a vaccine containing or having good cross-immunity to Omicron variant. A sequential booster means that the fourth dose is given with a different type of vaccine than the first three doses. Some clinical trials on sequential booster vaccination have shown that heterologous booster vaccination resulted in longer, broader and more durable immune response, which is one of the key reasons why the national authority is promoting a second dose for sequential immunization,” said ZHANG Fengyuan.
The Recombinant Covid-19 Vaccine (Sf9 cell) is the first recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cell) in China of good cross-immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants such as Omicron, showing exceptional protection efficacy, good safety profile and tolerability in sequential booster vaccination among key populations such as population at high risk of infection, elderly population of 60 years and older, and population with underlying conditions.
It is reported that Coviccine® has been delivered to the vaccination sites in several districts and counties in Yunnan. Local residents eligible for vaccination may inquire information at the nearby site and make an appointment for vaccination. Since the approval for emergency use by the national authority in December 2022, Coviccine® has been on the vaccine procurement list in the bidding process in over 20 provinces, offering a better vaccine choice for the residents, and contributing WestVac Biopharma’s efforts to fight against COVID-19.
About WestVac Biopharma
WestVac Biopharma Co., Ltd. is an innovative biopharmaceutical company integrating vaccine R&D, production and sales, and has been successfully selected into the list of unicorn companies for two consecutive years from 2021 to 2022. The company has a mature insect cell expression platform, bacterial vaccine platform, mRNA vaccine platform, novel adjuvant platform, tumor vaccine and immunotherapy platform, with more than 20 pipelines including COVID-19 vaccine, multivalent influenza vaccine, herpes virus vaccine, tumor immunity preparations. WestVac has established a well-equipped production and quality management system. It has built a production base with an annual production capacity of 600 million doses of vaccine in Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town, completed the construction and verification of the GMP production workshop, and obtained the “Drug Manufacturing License”. In addition, the Guangzhou production base of an annual capacity of up to 500 million doses is also under construction.
