China approves domestic Ebola vaccine

The military-backed Bioengineering Institute of the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences and private drugmaker Cansino Biologics Inc., of Tianjin have co-developed a vaccine for the deadly Ebola virus. After getting approval from CFDA, China is now the third country in the world, after the U.S. and Russia, with an approved vaccine.

The vaccine, named recombinant Ebola virus disease vaccine (Adenovirus type 5 vector), is a recombinant replication defective human Ad5 vector-based vaccine expressing Ebola virus glycoprotein, which can stimulate immunity against the Ebola virus in both human cells and bodily fluids.

CFDA has highlighted in the announcement that the newly approved vaccine is superior to the currently available vaccines in terms of the stability. The vaccine is based on the 2014 mutant gene type and in the form of freeze-dried powder, which can remain stable for at least two weeks in temperatures of up to 37 degrees Celsius.

The vaccine was approved for clinical trials by the CFDA in February 2015 and has undergone trials in Sierra Leone, one of the countries worst hit by Ebola. China established an Ebola special working committee in January 2015 and the CFDA approved the application for clinical tests of the drug in February 2015 and put the vaccine in an express approval system. Within two months, an application for registration of production was filed.