Sinovac, CanSino Begin New Phase 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Trials

Chinese drugmakers Sinovac Biotech and CanSino Biologics yesterday began separate late-stage trials of their COVID-19 vaccines in Turkey and Pakistan.

Sinovac launched a phase 3 study in Turkey to assess its vaccine candidate CoronaVac vs. a placebo. Participants ages 18-59 will be given either two doses of CoronaVac or a placebo at a two-week interval. The first stage of the study will enroll 1,300 healthcare workers and the second stage will enroll 12,000 members of the general population.

Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine has already received emergency authorization in China for use among high-risk populations, including medical staff and frontline pandemic workers (DID, Aug. 31). It is also currently in phase 3 testing in Indonesia and Brazil.

Meanwhile, CanSino Biologics has begun a phase 3 trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Ad5-nCOV in Pakistan. CanSino and the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology received approval from Pakistan’s regulators last month to begin the study. It is the country’s first phase 3 trial for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate (DID, Aug. 19).

Pakistan’s Minister for Planning and Development, Asad Umar, said via Twitter that the trial will enroll up to 10,000 participants and results are expected within four to six months.

CanSino’s vaccine most recently entered phase 3 testing in Russia. The company is also preparing late-stage trials of the vaccine in Saudi Arabia and Mexico (DID, Aug. 18). — Jordan Williams