China’s First mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Preps to Enter Final Stage Trials, Abogen CEO Says

Suzhou Abogen Biosciences’ mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is expected to start Phase III tests in overseas countries later this month, said CEO Ying Bo, Yicai Global reported.

Together with contract research organization Tigermed, Abogen is preparing to begin overseas Phase III clinical trials using 28,000 volunteers in countries including Mexico, Columbia and Pakistan.

ARCoV, co-developed with Walvax Biotechnology and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences' Institute of Biotechnology, can be stored at temperatures of between two and eight degrees centigrade for at least seven months.

The company is also developing another mRNA vaccine candidate that will target the variants first identified in South Africa and India.

In April, Abogen raised CNY600 million ($93.7 million) in Series B funding to accelerate clinical trials of its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate and build production facilities.