China’s Suzhou Abogen Biosciences Co. said its COVID-19 vaccine candidate using the messenger RNA (mRNA) technology and targeting the omicron variant has obtained clinical trial approval in the United Arab Emirates.
With Friday’s announcement, Abogen joins Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna in trialing candidates modified specifically against omicron, a highly transmissible variant with increased resistance to antibodies elicited by existing shots. The COVID-19 vaccine, co-developed by Abogen, Walvax Biotechnology, and a Chinese military-backed research institution, is an mRNA candidate based on an older coronavirus strain without major mutations. It is also being tested in a Phase III trial in China, Mexico, and Indonesia.
Besides the UAE, Abogen was communicating with regulators in China and other countries on potential clinical trials for the omicron-specific candidate, it said in a statement.
In addition, the UAE regulator has approved clinical trials for a third omicron-specific candidate from Sinopharm, based on protein, as well as for the firm’s two inactivated omicron-specific candidates, Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group said on Friday.
With Friday’s announcement, Abogen joins Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna in trialing candidates modified specifically against omicron, a highly transmissible variant with increased resistance to antibodies elicited by existing shots. The COVID-19 vaccine, co-developed by Abogen, Walvax Biotechnology, and a Chinese military-backed research institution, is an mRNA candidate based on an older coronavirus strain without major mutations. It is also being tested in a Phase III trial in China, Mexico, and Indonesia.
Besides the UAE, Abogen was communicating with regulators in China and other countries on potential clinical trials for the omicron-specific candidate, it said in a statement.
In addition, the UAE regulator has approved clinical trials for a third omicron-specific candidate from Sinopharm, based on protein, as well as for the firm’s two inactivated omicron-specific candidates, Sinopharm subsidiary China National Biotec Group said on Friday.
