With China no longer having enough local transmissions to stage trials itself, state-owned CNBG is conducting phase 3 trials involving more than 40,000 volunteers in about 10 countries in Asia, South America and Middle East, at a cost of thousands of US dollars per volunteer. Another Chinese company staging human trials overseas has forecast that it would cost US$1 billion in total.
“Our data is recognised and approved to allow clinical trials directly in foreign countries – a miracle in China’s history,” Zhang said.
But he added: “It has been very difficult to develop the vaccines, withstanding hostile foreign relations and smearing by the US.”
The US has alleged that China is conducting espionage activities to try to steal information on American vaccine development, which China has denied.CNBG had obtained approval to conduct a phase 3 trial in Australia, but “could not carry it out because of political reasons”, Zhang said. The Australian Department of Health declined to verify or comment on the claim, citing confidentiality reasons.
Relations between China and Australia have deteriorated sharply in recent months, with Beijing seeing Canberra as an ally of the US in trying to suppress China, and Australia viewing China as a threat to democracy and national security. In April, Australia lobbied world leaders for an inquiry into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, angering Beijing.
Zhang said countries still willing to support phase 3 trials of Chinese vaccines could benefit from access to the vaccines if they were approved.
“Cooperation for a mutual win is very important,” he said. “They backed us and we are willing to support them, for example in global production or distribution.”
For more information, read here: slotxo
|
|
