Sinovac Biotech Explained

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Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
Traded As:NASDAQ:
Founder:Yin Weidong[1]
Hq Location:39 Shang Di West Road, Haidian District
Hq Location Country:China
Num Employees:4,281 (as of 2022)[2]
Module:
Child:yes
S:科兴控股生物技术有限公司
T:科興控股生物技術有限公司
Order:st
P:Kē Xìng Kònggǔ Shēngwù Jìshù Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī
L:Kexing Holdings Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is a Chinese biopharmaceutical company based in Haidian District, Beijing that focuses on the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases. The company was listed on the Nasdaq but the exchange halted Sinovac's trading in February 2019 due to a proxy fight.[3] [4] The company has faced bribery probes in China. Its COVID-19 vaccine was also the target of a covert disinformation campaign by the US government.

Vaccines

Sinovac's commercialized vaccines include CoronaVac (COVID-19 vaccine), Inlive (Enterovirus 71 vaccine), Anflu (influenza vaccine), Healive (hepatitis A vaccine), varicella vaccine and mumps vaccine.[5]

COVID-19 vaccine development

See main article: CoronaVac.

CoronaVac is an inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac.[6] It has been in Phase III clinical trials in Brazil,[7] Chile,[8] Indonesia,[9] Philippines,[10] and Turkey.[11]

It relies on traditional technology similar to the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine and Covaxin, otherwise known as inactivated-virus COVID-19 vaccines in Phase III trials.[12] CoronaVac does not need to be frozen, and both the vaccine and raw material for formulating the new doses could be transported and refrigerated at 2C8C, temperatures at which flu vaccines are kept.[13]

A real-world study of ten millions of Chileans who received CoronaVac found it 66% effective against symptomatic COVID-19, 88% against hospitalization, 90% against ICU admissions, and 86% against deaths.[14] In Brazil, after 75% of the population in Serrana, São Paulo received CoronaVac, preliminary results show deaths fell by 95%, hospitalizations by 86%, and symptomatic cases by 80%.[15] [16] In Indonesia, real world data from 128,290 healthcare workers showed 94% protection against symptomatic infection by the vaccine, beating results in clinical trials.[17]

Phase III results from Turkey published in The Lancet showed an efficacy of 84% based on 10,218 participants in the trials.[18] [19] Phase III results from Brazil previously showed 50.7% efficacy at preventing symptomatic infections and 83.7% effective in preventing mild cases needing treatment. Efficacy against symptomatic infections increased to 62.3% with an interval of 21 days or more between the doses.[20]

CoronaVac is being used in vaccination campaigns in various countries in Asia,[21] [22] [23] South America,[24] [25] [26] North America,[27] [28] [29] and Europe.[30] [31] [32] By April 2021, Sinovac had a production capacity of two billion doses a year[33] and had delivered 600 million total doses.[34] It is currently being manufactured at several facilities in China, Brazil,[35] and Egypt.[36] On 1 June 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) validated the vaccine for emergency use.[37] [38] [39] Sinovac has signed purchase agreements for 380 million doses from COVAX.[40]

U.S. disinformation campaign

See main article: ChinaAngVirus disinformation campaign. According to an investigative report by Reuters, the United States ran a propaganda campaign to discredit the China's Sinovac COVID-19 inoculation, including using fake social media accounts to spread disinformation that the Sinovac vaccine contained pork-derived ingredients and was therefore haram under Islamic law.[41]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, China's growing influence by donating vaccines and aid, had prompted US military leaders to initiate a covert propaganda operation. A senior US military officer involved with the campaign had told Reuters that the US failed to effectively share vaccines with partners, leaving them without much options but to undermine China's diplomatic efforts. US military leaders took precedence over diplomats, fearing that China's COVID diplomacy might draw South-East Asian countries closer to Beijing. The US government later justified its covert disinformation campaign by framing it as retaliation for China's disinformation, which had falsely blamed the United States for the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, the campaign reportedly aimed to counter "China’s COVID diplomacy", and so to ultimately undermine closer ties between China and countries like the Philippines as a result of such diplomacy during the pandemic.[42] [43] The campaign primarily targeted people in the Philippines and used a social media hashtag for "China is the virus" in Tagalog. The campaign ran from the spring of 2020 to mid-2021. The primary contractor for the U.S. military on the project was General Dynamics IT, which received $493 million for its role. After some American public health experts were briefed by Reuters on the Pentagon's covert anti-vax campaign, they condemned the campaign as unjustifiable, and that it had unethically endangered innocent lives for potential geopolitical gain.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: China's Vaccine Front-Runner Aims to Beat Covid the Old-Fashioned Way . Bloomberg . en . 24 August 2020 . 2020-08-27 . 2020-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200927163259/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-24/coronavirus-vaccine-china-s-covid-front-runner-uses-brute-force-approach . live .
  2. Web site: Submission Proof - tv479639 . 2023-06-03 . 2024-01-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240114235700/http://www.sinovac.com/ file/2022/FY2021_20F_SVA_Annual.pdf . live .
  3. News: Dou. Eva. December 4, 2020. As China nears a coronavirus vaccine, bribery cloud hangs over drugmaker Sinovac. en-US. The Washington Post. live. 2020-12-06. https://archive.today/20201204153957/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/coronavirus-vaccine-china-bribery-sinovac/2020/12/04/7c09ae68-28c6-11eb-9c21-3cc501d0981f_story.html. December 4, 2020. 0190-8286.
  4. News: Levine. Matt. May 22, 2020. A Vaccine With a Poison Pill. Bloomberg News. live. December 6, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621042937/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2020-05-22/money-stuff-a-vaccine-with-a-poison-pill. June 21, 2020.
  5. Web site: Vaccines. 1 September 2021. sinovac.com. 26 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210926184314/http://www.sinovac.com/product/product.php?class2=162&lang=en. dead.
  6. News: Nidhi Parekh. CoronaVac: A COVID-19 Vaccine Made From Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Virus. 22 July 2020. 25 July 2020. 25 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210125142731/https://fancycomma.com/2020/07/22/coronavac-inactivated-covid19-vaccine/. live.
  7. Web site: 21 July 2020. New coronavirus vaccine trials start in Brazil. 2020-10-07. AP News. 2020-10-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20201016191628/https://apnews.com/article/f946b044e0b507616aca201375e46571. live.
  8. News: 4 August 2020. Chile initiates clinical study for COVID-19 vaccine. Chile Reports. 2020-10-07. 2020-10-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20201011190302/https://chilereports.cl/en/news/2020/08/04/chile-initiates-clinical-study-for-covid-19-vaccine. live.
  9. News: 30 August 2020. 248 volunteers have received Sinovac vaccine injections in Bandung. Antara News. 2020-10-07. 2020-09-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20200930214658/https://en.antaranews.com/news/155398/248-volunteers-have-received-sinovac-vaccine-injections-in-bandung. live.
  10. News: 16 September 2020. DOH eyes 5 hospitals for Sinovac vaccine Phase 3 clinical trial. PTV News. 2020-10-07. 2020-12-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20201216072653/https://ptvnews.ph/doh-eyes-5-hospitals-for-sinovac-vaccine-phase-3-clinical-trial/. live.
  11. News: 1 September 2020. Turkey begins phase three trials of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine. TRT World News. 2020-10-07.
  12. News: Zimmer. Carl. Corum. Jonathan. Wee. Sui-Lee. Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker. en-US. The New York Times. 10 June 2020. 2021-02-12. 0362-4331. 2020-12-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20201224200821/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html. live.
  13. News: 2020-11-01. CoronaVac: Doses will come from China on nine flights and can.... 2021-02-12. AlKhaleej Today. ar. 2020-12-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20201216072629/https://alkhaleejtoday.co/international/5246732/CoronaVac-Doses-will-come-from-China-on-nine-flights-and-can.html. live.
  14. 6. Jara A, Undurraga EA, González C, Paredes F, Fontecilla T, Jara G, Pizarro A, Acevedo J, Leo K, Leon F, Sans C, Leighton P, Suárez P, García-Escorza H, Araos R. July 2021. Effectiveness of an Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Chile. The New England Journal of Medicine. 385. 10. 875–884. 10.1056/NEJMoa2107715. 34233097. 8279092. free. 235766915.
  15. Web site: 2021-06-01. Sinovac vaccine restores a Brazilian city to near normal. 2021-06-02. CTV News. Savarese M. 2021-06-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20210601193316/https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/sinovac-vaccine-restores-a-brazilian-city-to-near-normal-1.5451755. live.
  16. News: 2021-05-31. Brazil's Experiment to Vaccinate Town With Chinese CoronaVac Reduced Covid-19 Deaths by 95%. The Wall Street Journal. 2021-06-02. 0099-9660. Pearson S. 2022-02-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203172134/https://www.wsj.com/articles/brazils-experiment-to-vaccinate-town-with-chinese-coronavac-reduced-covid-19-deaths-by-95-11622479864. live.
  17. News: 3 June 2023. China Sinovac Shot Seen Highly Effective in Real World Study. Bloomberg News. 3 June 2023. 11 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210511235439/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-11/china-s-sinovac-shot-found-highly-effective-in-real-world-study. live.
  18. 6. Tanriover MD, Doğanay HL, Akova M, Güner HR, Azap A, Akhan S, Köse Ş, Erdinç FŞ, Akalın EH, Tabak ÖF, Pullukçu H, Batum Ö, Yavuz SS, Turhan Ö, Yıldırmak MT, Köksal İ, Taşova Y, Korten V, Yılmaz G, Çelen MK, Altın S, Çelik İ, Bayındır Y, Karaoğlan İ, Yılmaz A, Özkul A, Gür H, Unal S, Kayaaslan B, Hasanoğlu İ, Dalkıran A, Aydos Ö, Çınar G, Akdemir-Kalkan İ, İnkaya AÇ, Aydin M, Çakir H, Yıldız J, Kocabıyık Ö, Arslan S, Nallı B, Demir Ö, Singil S, Ataman-Hatipoğlu Ç, Tuncer-Ertem G, Kınıklı S, Önal U, Mete B, Dalgan G, Taşbakan M, Yamazhan T, Kömürcüoğlu B, Yalnız E, Benli A, Keskin-Sarıtaş Ç, Ertosun MG, Özkan Ö, Emre S, Arıca S, Kuşçu F, Candevir A, Ertürk-Şengel B, Ayvaz F, Aksoy F, Mermutluoğlu Ç, Demir Y, Günlüoğlu G, Tural-Önür S, Kılıç-Toker A, Eren E, Otlu B, Mete AÖ, Koçak K, Ateş H, Koca-Kalkan İ, Aksu K. 8 July 2021. Efficacy and safety of an inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac): interim results of a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial in Turkey. The Lancet. English. 398. 10296. 213–222. 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01429-X. 0140-6736. 8266301. 34246358. free. 235770533.
  19. Evidence Assessment: Sinovac/CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine. 29 April 2021. Presentation. World Health Organization. 10 July 2021. PDF. 7 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210707233219/https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/immunization/sage/2021/april/5_sage29apr2021_critical-evidence_sinovac.pdf. live.
  20. News: 2021-04-11. Estudo clínico que comprova maior eficácia da Coronavac é enviado para Lancet. Portuguese. Clinical study proving greater efficacy of Coronavac is submitted to The Lancet. CNN Brasil. São Paulo. 2021-04-12. Costa A. 2021-04-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20210429075827/https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/saude/2021/04/11/estudo-clinico-que-comprova-maior-eficacia-da-coronavac-e-enviado-para-lancet. live.
  21. Web site: TARIGAN. EDNA. MILKO. VICTORIA. 13 January 2021. Indonesia starts mass COVID vaccinations over vast territory. 15 January 2021. Associated Press. 13 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231013083522/https://apnews.com/article/asia-pacific-indonesia-coronavirus-pandemic-joko-widodo-3ff30c85dc6943e2a06db470a9d04931. live.
  22. News: Thailand Kicks Off Covid-19 Vaccine Program With Sinovac Shots. en. Bloomberg.com. 28 February 2021. 2021-02-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228025313/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-28/thailand-kicks-off-covid-19-vaccine-program-with-sinovac-shots. live.
  23. Web site: 6 February 2021. China approves Sinovac vaccines for general public use. 6 February 2021. South China Morning Post. en. 23 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210623131549/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3120855/covid-19-china-approves-sinovac-vaccine-general-public-use. live.
  24. Web site: Rochabrun. Marcelo. Brazil health ministry says plans to order 30 million more Coronavac doses The Chronicle Herald. 26 February 2021. www.thechronicleherald.ca. en. 29 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210329140932/https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/world/brazil-health-ministry-says-plans-to-order-30-million-more-coronavac-doses-554373/. live.
  25. News: Miranda. Natalia A. Ramos. 28 January 2021. Chile receives two million-dose first delivery of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine. en. Reuters. 30 January 2021. 29 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210129200450/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-chile-sinovac-idUSKBN29X282. live.
  26. Web site: BNamericas - Uruguay prepares to launch COVID-19 vaccinat.... 1 March 2021. BNamericas.com. 27 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210227015004/https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/uruguay-prepares-to-launch-covid-19-vaccination-scheme-as-china-jabs-arrive. live.
  27. Web site: 2021-03-15. Venustiano Carranza next up for Covid vaccination in Mexico City. 2021-03-16. Mexico News Daily. 2021-03-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20210315225813/https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/coronavirus/venustiano-carranza-next-up-for-covid-vaccination-in-mexico-city/. live.
  28. Web site: Anticovid vaccines run out as Dominican Republic awaits arrival of more doses. 2021-03-10. Dominican Today. en. 2021-03-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20210311084501/https://dominicantoday.com/dr/covid-19/2021/03/08/anticovid-vaccines-run-out-as-dominican-republic-awaits-arrival-of-more-doses/. live.
  29. Web site: Llegan a El Salvador un millón de dosis de la vacuna china CoronaVac contra el covid-19 de la farmacéutica Sinovac. 2021-03-28. Noticias de El Salvador - La Prensa Gráfica Informate con la verdad. es-ES. 2021-04-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20210421183905/https://www.laprensagrafica.com/elsalvador/Llegan-a-El-Salvador-un-millon-de-dosis-de-la-vacuna-china-contra-el-covid-19-de-la-farmaceutica-Sinovac-20210328-0004.html. live.
  30. Web site: Turkey aims to vaccinate 60 percent of population: Minister – Turkey News. 12 February 2021. Hürriyet Daily News. 11 February 2021. en. 12 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210212120219/https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-targets-to-vaccinate-60-of-population-health-minister-162317. live.
  31. Web site: Vaccination with CoronaVac launched in Ukraine on April 13 – Health minister. 2021-04-15. www.unian.info. en. 2021-04-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415221836/https://www.unian.info/society/covid-19-vaccination-with-coronavac-launched-in-ukraine-on-april-13-health-minister-11386060.html. live.
  32. Web site: Semini. Llazar. Albania starts mass COVID vaccinations before tourist season. 2021-03-28. ABC News. en. 2021-04-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20210428110755/https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/albania-starts-mass-covid-vaccinations-tourist-season-76733128. live.
  33. News: Liu. Roxanne. 2021-04-02. China Sinovac says it reached two billion doses annual capacity for COVID-19 vaccine. en. Reuters. 2021-04-02. 2021-04-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20210412164500/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-vaccine-sinovac-idUSKBN2BP07G. live.
  34. News: Nebehay. Stephanie. 2021-06-01. WHO approves Sinovac COVID vaccine, the second Chinese-made dose listed. Reuters. Geneva. 2021-06-01. 2021-06-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20210601151522/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-sinovac/who-approves-sinovac-covid-vaccine-the-second-chinese-made-dose-listed-idUSKCN2DD3V5. live.
  35. News: 10 December 2020. Chinese vaccine draws demand across Latin America, say Brazilian officials. en. Reuters. live. 10 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201210170303/https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-brazil-idUSKBN28K1IK. 10 December 2020. Mano A, Simões.
  36. Web site: 2021-04-08. Egypt to produce up to 80 million Sinovac vaccine doses annually. 2021-04-08. Arab News. en.
  37. News: 2021-06-01. WHO approves Sinovac COVID vaccine, the second Chinese-made dose listed. Reuters. Geneva. 2021-06-01. Nebehay S. 2021-06-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20210601151522/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who-sinovac/who-approves-sinovac-covid-vaccine-the-second-chinese-made-dose-listed-idUSKCN2DD3V5. live.
  38. Web site: 1 May 2021. WHO recommendation Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine (Vero Cell [Inactivated]) – CoronaVac]. 1 June 2021. World Health Organization (WHO). 2 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213345/https://extranet.who.int/pqweb/vaccines/who-recommendation-sinovac-covid-19-vaccine-vero-cell-inactivated-coronavac. dead.
  39. WHO validates Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use and issues interim policy recommendations. World Health Organization (WHO). 1 June 2021. 5 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210605223719/https://www.who.int/news/item/01-06-2021-who-validates-sinovac-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use-and-issues-interim-policy-recommendations. live.
  40. Web site: 2021-07-12. Chinese drugmakers agree to supply more than half a billion vaccines to COVAX. 2021-07-13. Reuters. 2023-03-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20230306071301/https://www.reuters.com/world/gavi-signs-covid-19-vaccine-supply-deals-with-sinovac-sinopharm-covax-2021-07-12/. live.
  41. News: Bing . Chris . Schechtman . Joel . June 14, 2024 . Pentagon Ran Secret Anti-Vax Campaign to Undermine China during Pandemic . Reuters.
  42. Web site: Toropin . Konstantin . 2024-06-14 . Pentagon Stands by Secret Anti-Vaccination Disinformation Campaign in Philippines After Reuters Report . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240614223757/https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/06/14/pentagon-stands-secret-anti-vaccination-disinformation-campaign-philippines-after-reuters-report.html . 2024-06-14 . 2024-06-19 . . en.
  43. News: 2024-06-15 . The Pentagon ran a secret anti-vax campaign to undermine China during the pandemic, report says . 2024-06-20 . . en-AU.

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