CanSino to Launch Phase 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Trial in Saudi Arabia

China-based CanSino Biologics is preparing a phase 3 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia, the country’s Ministry of Health has announced.

The study will include at least 5,000 healthy participants over age 18, who will be given either a low dose of the vaccine or the vaccine without any active ingredients.

CanSino’s vaccine, Ad5-nCoV, has shown efficacy in early phase trials, generating antibodies and good immune responses in the volunteers. The company announced positive results from a phase 2 trial last month, showing immune responses in more than 90 percent of participants following a single dose with no serious adverse reactions (DID, July 21).

In March, Ad5-nCoV became the first COVID-19 vaccine candidate to undergo human testing in China. However, it now lags behind two other China-based competitors, Sinovac and Sinopharm, which have already begun phase 3 testing of their vaccines overseas. — Jordan Williams