RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) on Friday, July 3rd, released the third trial stage of the vaccine against the novel coronavirus developed by Chinese biotechnology pharmaceutical company Sinovac.
According to ANVISA, the authorization was requested by the Butantan Institute, in São Paulo.
The governor of São Paulo, João Doria, had announced the partnership between the Butantan Institute and the Chinese laboratory on June 11th. At the time, Doria said that if the vaccine’s efficacy and safety are proven, it will be produced in the country and released to the SUS (Unified Health System) as of June 2021.
Stages
In a note, ANVISA reported that stages 1 and 2, conducted in healthy humans and animals, produced positive results with the two-dose vaccine approach.
This is the second Covid-19 vaccine trial approved by ANVISA in Brazil. On June 2nd, the Agency authorized the clinical trial of the vaccine developed by Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
CoronaVac
The Sinovac vaccine has already been approved for clinical trials in China. It uses a deactivated version of the virus. This means that there is no presence of the live Sars-Cov-2 coronavirus in the solution, which reduces the risks of this type of immunization.
Deactivated vaccines are made up of the dead virus or portions thereof. This ensures it is unable to replicate itself in the system. This is the same principle as for vaccines against hepatitis and influenza (flu).
It implants a form of cellular memory that is responsible for activating the immunity of people who are immunized. Once it comes into contact with the active coronavirus, the body is equipped to induce an immune response.
Chinese scientists have reached the clinical trials stage – human trials – of three other vaccines. One is produced by the Chinese military in partnership with CanSino Biologics, and two others developed by the state-owned China National Biotec.
Source: G1