A private Chinese firm is announcing plans to mass produce an Ebola vaccine developed by Chinese military scientists.
Tianjin CanSino Biotechnology Inc. is constructing a 315 million USD facility in the northeastern city of Tianjin, where the company will produce the vaccine. Although the facility will be completed by September, there is no set date for the production launch. The firm already produces vaccines against pneumonia, meningitis, and tuberculosis. It annually releases around 200 million vaccines.
The Ebola vaccine was developed by a team of biotech experts at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in China. It is based on the 2014 mutant gene types and is in the form of freeze-dried powder. The vaccine remains stable for two weeks in temperatures of up to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Its stability makes it suitable for the tropical climate of West Africa where the Ebola outbreak has killed more than 11,000 people.
The experimental vaccine was approved for clinical trials in December 2014. The Ministry of Health of Sierra Leone, one of the hardest hit countries, says the vaccine has proven “clinically safe,” in a statement reported by the International Business Times.
Other companies worldwide are also trying to develop a successful vaccine against the deadly virus. The U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency recently presented NewLink Genetics Corp. with an 8.1 million USD base contract to work on the development of an Ebola vaccine candidate. The biopharmaceutical company has licensed research, development, and manufacturing of the potential vaccine to Merck, an American pharmaceutical company–one of the largest in the world.
The number of new Ebola cases is dropping steadily this year. The world observed the first week without new Ebola cases earlier this month. Sierra Leone has reported no confirmed cases for four consecutive weeks.
There is no known drug that can kill the Ebola virus. Most Ebola treatments focus on relieving the symptoms as the body combats the virus. Patients who recover from infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years. It remains unknown, however, if lifetime immunity is provided.
A private Chinese firm is announcing plans to mass produce an Ebola vaccine developed by Chinese military scientists.
