China on the Verge of Pfizer Vaccine Production... Expected to Start Manufacturing in August

BioNTech Germany Transfers Pfizer Vaccine Technology to Pushing Pharma
China Anticipates Mutual Recognition of Vaccines Between Countries

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2: Pfizer vaccine) jointly developed by Germany's BioNTech and China's Fuxing Pharmaceutical is expected to be produced in China as early as August. Approval for this vaccine is anticipated to be granted in July. This marks the first time that China has approved and produced a foreign vaccine on the mainland.

Wu Yifang, chairman of China's Fuxing Pharmaceutical, stated at the shareholders' meeting held on the 11th that the vaccine production line could be completed and production could begin as early as August, according to a report by the Global Times on the 13th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

BioNTech and Fuxing Pharmaceutical established a joint venture last month and agreed to build a factory capable of producing 1 billion doses annually of the COVID-19 vaccine using messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) technology.

Chairman Wu explained at the shareholders' meeting that the vaccine technology transfer is underway, along with preparations for the supply chain and raw materials. He added that experts dispatched by BioNTech have already arrived in Shanghai and are overseeing the factory remodeling work.

Regarding the crucial approval from Chinese health authorities for vaccine production, Wu said, "The approval process is in its final stages," and "clinical trial data and related materials have already been submitted to the authorities."

BioNTech and Fuxing Pharmaceutical had previously expressed confidence in April that the vaccine would receive approval from Chinese health authorities by July at the latest. This vaccine has already been approved and supplied in Hong Kong.

The Global Times cited experts who noted that if the vaccine jointly developed and produced (contract manufacturing) by Fuxing Pharmaceutical and BioNTech is approved in China, it could promote mutual recognition of vaccines between countries.

Shao Yiming, senior researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "If foreign vaccines are produced in China in addition to domestically developed vaccines, not only will the vaccine pool increase, but mixed vaccination will also become possible," adding that this could lead to mutual recognition of vaccines between countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.