Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the Health Ministry has directed units to study and clinically test made-in-Viet Nam vaccines while seeking technology transfer from abroad to proactively fight the pandemic in the country.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

The ministry’s Administration of Science Technology and Training (ASTT) said on June 12 that two domestic manufacturers are working on COVID-19 vaccines. In particular, Nanocovax by the Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology JSC has been approved for the third stage of clinical trials, which will be carried out by the Military Medical University and the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute right there and in Hung Yen, Long An and Tien Giang provinces and several qualified units.

About 13,000 people will be chosen for the phase.

Another candidate is COVIVAC by the Nha Trang Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC) which is under the first stage of clinical testing. The second stage is scheduled to take place in Thai Binh province.

The IVAC plans to produce about 6 million doses each year while Nanogen expects to manufacture around 20-30 million doses annually.

According to the ASTT, the Health Minister on May 7 issued Decision No.2301/QD-BYT on the establishment of a steering committee for a research programme on COVID-19 vaccine technology transfer and production.

Vingroup negotiated with a US manufacturer to transfer the technology of producing vaccine from mRNA which requires only one shot of 5mg. Its plant will be capable of producing 100-200 million doses each year, starting from the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of next year.

At present, the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 is stepping up negotiations with a Japanese partner to transfer technology to Viet Nam.

It also signed a deal with a Russian investment fund for the sale of 5 million doses of Sputnik-V vaccine each month, towards transferring technology with an annual capacity of 100 million doses.

Source: VNA