Cell journal publishes China's COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough

China has developed an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, BBIBP-CorV. Related research and development of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine was published by "Cell" on Saturday, one of the world's most respected life science academic journals.

Top scientists from the National Vaccine & Serum Institutes, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences published their research paper, "Development of an inactivated vaccine Candidate, BBIBp-CorV, with potent protection against SARS- COV-2" to introduce their research on a COVID-19 vaccine in China to the world.

Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is one of the authors.

According to the research paper, they reported the pilot-scale production of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate, BBIBP-CorV that induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies titers in mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and nonhuman primates (cynomolgus monkeys and rhesus macaques) to provide protection against SARS-CoV-2. 

Two-dose immunizations using 2 μg/dose of BBIBP-CorV protected against SARS-CoV-2 intratracheal challenges in rhesus macaques, without detectable antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. 

In addition, BBIBP-CorV exhibited productivity and strong genetic stability for vaccine manufacturing. The results support earlier evaluations of BBIBP-CorV during clinical trials, according to the paper.

The Beijing Vaccine & Serum Institute completed the construction of the world's largest inactivated COVID-19 vaccine production facility capable of manufacturing over 3 million doses, with an annual output of 100-120 million doses after mass production, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In addition, the report also mentioned that the inactivated vaccine facility developed by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products is slated for completion within the next month. By then, China's two biological research institutes will have an annual capacity of more than 200 million doses to ensure the accessibility of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine.