HONG KONG – South Korea-based Genexine Inc. has started enrolling a phase I/II trial for a DNA vaccine targeting COVID-19 called GX-19.

BEIJING – Nasdaq-listed Chinese vaccine developer Sinovac Biotech Ltd., of Beijing, said the preliminary results of the phase I/II trials of its COVID-19 inactivated vaccine candidate, Coronavac, demonstrated favorable immunogenicity and safety profiles.

BEIJING – One more company is joining the global efforts in developing a vaccine for COVID-19. Beijing-based Yisheng Biopharma Co. Ltd. unveiled YS-SC2-010, which was developed through recombinant protein technology and its proprietary PIKA (polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid-based adjuvant) technology.

LONDON – The foundation stone of a system to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines was put in place by the global vaccines summit on June 4, with 12 donors pledging $567 million in seed money for an advance market commitment (AMC) program.

PERTH, Australia – Aussie biotech CSL Ltd. and the University of Queensland (UQ) have entered a development agreement with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to accelerate development, manufacture and distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Queensland.

LONDON – The World Health Organization (WHO) is stepping up its effort to try and ensure equitable access to any approved COVID-19 vaccines and therapies, putting in place a system for sharing all intellectual property, information and clinical trials data needed to enable generic manufacturing.

BEIJING – Besides advancing its recombinant adenovirus type-5 vector (Ad5) vaccine for COVID-19, Cansino Biologics Inc. is making a new attempt to develop an mRNA lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) vaccine together with Canadian company Precision Nanosystems Inc., of Vancouver, British Columbia.

LONDON – Support is growing for human challenge trials in COVID-19 to be approved in order to speed up development of effective vaccines against the pandemic infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) has just released guidelines for assessing the ethical acceptability, saying such trials would allow for more rapid and standardized testing, accelerating development and enabling candidates to be prioritized.

LONDON – The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a global collaboration to accelerate development and production of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

BEIJING – Nanobody startup Sysvax Inc. is developing a recombinant protein vaccine and a nanobody therapeutic for COVID-19, while trying to extend the half-life of potential COVID-19 treatments with its expertise in this smallest possible antibody format.