Universities in China’s Greater Bay Area have developed a recombinant receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein vaccine candidate that has shown promise against COVID-19, researchers said Monday.

NEW DELHI – If India’s government has its way, the country could launch a vaccine for COVID-19 in mid-August, an extremely short deadline that has caused controversy and pushed companies to speed up their development and the trials of prospective vaccines.

Universities in China’s Greater Bay Area have developed a recombinant receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein vaccine candidate that has shown promise against COVID-19, researchers said Monday at a press conference in Hong Kong. The vaccine can induce neutralizing activity after seven days with one dose, but more animal studies are now underway to test its durability.