Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the Health Ministry
has directed units to study and clinically test made-in-Vietnam vaccines while
seeking technology transfer from abroad to proactively fight the pandemic in the
country.
The ministry’s Administration of Science Technology and
Training (ASTT) said on June 12 that two domestic manufacturers are working
on vaccines. In particular, by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology JSC has been approved for the third stage of clinical trials,
which will be carried out by the Military Medical University and the Ho Chi
Minh City Pasteur Institute right there and in Hung Yen, Long An and Tien Giang
provinces and several qualified units.
About 13,000 people will be chosen for the phase.
Another candidate is COVIVAC by the Nha Trang Institute of Vaccines
and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) which is under the first stage of clinical
testing. The second stage is scheduled to take place in Thai Binh province.
The IVAC plans to produce about 6 million doses each year while
Nanogen expects to manufacture around 20-30 million doses annually.
According to the ASTT, the Health Minister on May 7 issued Decision No.2301/QD-BYT on the establishment of a steering committee for a
research programme on COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer and production.
Vingroup negotiated with a US manufacturer to transfer the technology of producing
vaccine from mRNA which requires only one shot of 5mg. Its plant will be
capable of producing 100-200 million doses each year, starting from the fourth
quarter of this year or the first quarter of next year.
At present, the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1
is stepping up negotiations with a Japanese partner to transfer technology to
Vietnam.
It also signed a deal with a Russian investment fund for the
sale of 5 million doses of Sputnik-V vaccine each month, towards transferring
technology with an annual capacity of 100 million doses./.
Source: VietnamPlus
