RHB Research upgrades Duopharma to 'buy', raises target price to RM4
Hamsaveni Visuvaseven
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theedgemarkets.com

January 14, 2021 10:42 am +08
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KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): RHB Research has upgraded Duopharma Biotech Bhd to "buy" at RM3.39 with a higher target price (TP) of RM4 (from RM3.30) as clarity of Duopharma’s vaccine participation in Malaysia increased significantly.

In a note today, RHB Research analyst Alan Lim said the TP of Duopharma was raised based on discounted cash flow (DCF)-derived valuation by one year of 40.7 times price-earnings ratio (PER) forecasted for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2022 (FY22F) (close to +3 standard deviation) as well as lowering beta assumptions due to lower share price volatility seen in the past three months.

“We believe that there is a high chance of Duopharma participating in Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccination programme. The company also has a stable earnings outlook as 50% of its revenue is from the government,” he said.

Lim noted that on Dec 29 last year, Duopharma announced that the Malaysian government had extended the contract period for human insulin for one year starting from Dec 2, 2020 to Dec 1, 2021.

“We gather that there will be an additional contract value of RM19.6 million. Duopharma also disclosed that the remaining value of products, yet to be drawn down by the government, stood at RM69.1 million,” he added.

Lim said he is positive due to higher FY21 revenue visibility, although the research house had already imputed this into its earnings forecasts previously.

“As Duopharma has the fill-and-finish capacity of 6m vials or 60m (60 million) doses per year, we believe that there is a high chance of it participating in Malaysia’s Covid-19 vaccination programme,” Lim pointed out.

Lim also noted that Duopharma was added as a member of the Dow Jones Islamic Market Malaysia Titans 25 Index, effective from Dec 18, 2020.

“We are positive on the news as it increases the stock’s visibility to syariah funds,” said the analyst.

At 10.17am today, Duopharna was unchanged at RM3.39, with 919,300 shares traded.

China's Sinopharm says vaccine 79% effective vs coronavirus

Dec 30, 2020 1:42 PM PHT



Phase 3 trials of a Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine found it was 79% effective, the Chinese pharma giant said Wednesday, December 30, lower than rival jabs developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna but a potential breakthrough in the battle to stem the pandemic in Asia.

China has been racing against the West to develop its own COVID-19 vaccines, with five already in large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials.

But Wednesday's announcement was the first data released regarding the efficacy of a Chinese vaccine candidate.

"The protective effect of the (Sinopharm CNBG Beijing) vaccine against COVID-19 is 79.34%," said the Beijing Institute of Biological Products, a Sinopharm subsidiary.

Sinopharm has applied to China's drug regulator for approval of the inactivated coronavirus vaccine, the statement said, a type of inoculation using particles of the pathogen.

It has also been slow to complete Phase 3 trials, which had to be conducted abroad due to China's success at curbing the spread of COVID-19 within its own borders.

Chinese officials have repeatedly assured the public of the vaccines' safety, claiming that there have been no serious adverse reactions.

More than a million people have already been vaccinated with unapproved vaccines in China under its emergency use program, including frontline health workers, state-owned enterprise employees, and workers planning to travel abroad.

The United Arab Emirates approved a Sinopharm vaccine earlier this month, becoming the first foreign country to approve a China-developed COVID-19 vaccine. It said the vaccine was 86% effective, according to interim results of a Phase 3 trial.

Beijing has pledged to share the vaccine at a fair cost – a potential boost for poorer Asian countries who are otherwise reliant on limited distribution offered by the COVAX scheme.

"China has made the firm commitment that after China's new coronavirus vaccines are completed and put into use, they will serve as a global public product and be supplied to the world at a fair and reasonable price," foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Friday.

"We will also give priority to developing countries for vaccines. This will be made through a variety of ways, including through donations and aid," Lijian added. – Rappler.com

Pharmaniaga secures 14 million vaccine doses from Sinovac, to be distributed by end-March
Lee Weng Khuen
/
theedgemarkets.com

January 12, 2021 12:49 pm +08
Pharmaniaga secures 14 million vaccine doses from Sinovac, to be distributed by end-March
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KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 12): Pharmaniaga Bhd is partnering with China's Sinovac Life Sciences Co Ltd for the supply of 14 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine in Malaysia.

Pharmaniaga expects the vaccine to be distributed to the public by the end of March this year, according to managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope.

An agreement was entered between Pharmaniaga and Sinovac this morning. Under the deal, Pharmaniaga will carry out the fill and finish process of the vaccine developed by Sinovac, which is one the leading vaccine developers in China.
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Zulkarnain said the project will be executed by Pharmaniaga's wholly-owned subsidiary Pharmaniaga LifeSciences Sdn Bhd (PLS) at its small volume injectable high-tech plant in Puchong.

The vaccine has to be stored between two and eight degrees Celsius, which will be catered by its existing facilities at PLS.

Sinovac has completed its Phase 3 trials in Brazil and Turkey.

At noon break, Pharmaniaga’s share price gained six sen or 1.19% to RM5.10, giving it a market capitalisation of about RM1.34 billion.

Still some ways to go for Malaysian companies' vaccine distribution biz to take off
Justin Lim

theedgemarkets.com

January 12, 2021 09:00 am +08
Still some ways to go for these companies' vaccine distribution biz to take off

Still some ways to go for these companies' vaccine distribution biz to take off
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KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 12): Promising developments on the vaccine front have stirred investor interest in companies that venture into vaccine distribution, in hopes they will be in for bumper profits.

However, it is not clear at this juncture just how much or when these companies can cash in, given just the evaluation process alone for a vaccine to be approved for distribution and use in Malaysia will take five phases. The first phase alone — which is the checking of the vaccine dossiers or research documents — typically takes between 90 and 120 days, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

When contacted, property developer Yong Tai Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Wira Boo Kuang Loon said the company expects to bring its Chinese partner's vaccine into Malaysia by the third quarter of this year, at the earliest, on obtaining approval from the MoH's National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA). Any vaccines or medicines to be imported into Malaysia for use here will require NPRA's approval.
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Yong Tai in early December last year inked a heads of agreement with Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co Ltd (SZKT) for the development and exclusive commercialisation of the latter's inactivated Covid-19 vaccine in Malaysia. Under the deal, Yong Tai will supply 100 million doses of the vaccine over a five-year period.

To secure NPRA's approval, Boo said Yong Tai has to first obtain all clinical trial results of phases one to three. Following this, an application will be submitted to NPRA for its assessment and approval. This application needs to be done by a licensed contract research organisation, said Boo, adding Yong Tai has appointed Kinsel Sdn Bhd for it.

The company is now compiling the clinical trial results of phases one and two. Subsequently, Yong Tai will work with SZKT to secure approvals from the MoH's Ethics Committee and the NPRA to allow the company to conduct the phase three clinical trial here, which Boo said should start in March and take about six months to complete.

"If the trial results [for phase three] are positive with good efficacy rate, we will then be able to apply to NPRA again for commercialisation approval and roll out the vaccine into the market. We expect the roll-out to happen by the third quarter of 2021, at the earliest," he added.

Meanwhile, mechanical and electrical engineering services company Bintai Kinden Corp Bhd, who is partnering US-based Generex Biotechnology Corp and its subsidiary NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology Inc to distribute and sell their Covid-19 vaccine in Southeast Asia, told The Edge that the vaccine is currently in pre-clinical trials. Hence, it is still early to talk about commercialising the vaccine, according to Bintai Kinden's managing director Ong Choon Lui.

Under its agreement with Generex, Bintai also has the right of first refusal to commercially exploit Generex's vaccine in New Zealand and Australia.

"In Malaysia, we [see ourselves] supplementing the government in terms of ensuring the availability of vaccines in the country. I think the government and private sector should complement each other instead of compete," Ong replied to a question about its target clients in Malaysia for Generex's vaccine, given that the government already aims to secure enough supply from pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer, AstraZeneca, as well as Sinovac, CanSino and Gamaleya to vaccinate 80% or 26.5 million of the country's population.

Similarly, Yong Tai's Boo said battling the Covid-19 pandemic requires the joint efforts of both the public and private sectors.

"While the government, on its part, has announced that vaccines will be imported from several sources to cover over 80% of the local population, there continues to be extra demand for vaccines from those individuals who want to be inoculated without having to wait in line," said Boo.

Besides these two companies, other public listed companies that have jumped on the vaccine distribution bandwagon include Ho Wah Genting Bhd, Kanger International Bhd, K-Star Sports Ltd, Solution Group Bhd and My EG Services Bhd.

Bintai Kinden’s unit appointed exclusive distributor of cold chain box for storing vaccine
Sunbiz /
08 Jan 2021 / 13:09 H.

Bintai Kinden’s unit appointed exclusive distributor of cold chain box for storing vaccine

PETALING JAYA: Bintai Kinden Corp Bhd’s subsidiary Bintai Healthcare Sdn Bhd has been appointed as the exclusive distributor for Greenie Medi cold chain box designed for the storage and distribution of Covid-19 vaccine in Malaysia.

Bintai Healthcare has also been appointed as an authorised distributor for the product in South East Asia countries.

To formalise the deal, Bintai Healthcare had today signed a distribution agreement with SLAB Asia Co Ltd to distribute the full range of Greenie Medi cold chain box products in Malaysia, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Greenie Medi cold chain box was designed for the exclusive use in transporting and storing medical products at very low temperatures. It keeps the inbox temperature at -70℃ for up to 120 hours.

SLAB Asia is one of the leading cold chain equipment manufacturers in South Korea and operates Korea’s only ISTA 7D/7E certified private test lab which offers its customers international recognised quality assurance.

ISTA 7D/7E is a test standard set by Center for Drug Evaluation and Research under the US Food and Drug Administration in certifying compatibility and adequacy for transporting medical grade products.

The product, which is tested to meet ISTA 7D/7E requirements, is designed specifically to enable proper storage and distribution of vaccines, including the highly anticipated Covid-19 vaccine.

Bintai Kinden managing director Ong Choon Lui (pix) said the company understands the importance of supply chain stability especially related to vaccine shipments.

“As a socially responsible organisation, we are here to support the government’s initiatives in vaccine distribution and to complement the existing cold chain infrastructure and provide comprehensive solutions to meet critical needs in times like these and to support the needs for Covid-19 vaccine distribution.

“Greenie Medi Cold Chain Box are the ideal solutions for getting temperature sensitive drugs, biologics and vaccines safely to the end users across Malaysia and beyond,” he added.

The agreement is expected to contribute positively towards the future earnings of the group.

Bintai Kinden had in October 2020 ventured into distribution of Covid-19 vaccine. Bintai Healthcare was granted the exclusive rights from Generex Biotechnology Corp and its subsidiary NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology Inc to distribute, sell and commercialise the Covid-19 vaccine in Malaysia, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

It has also been given the first right of refusal to distribute and market the vaccine within Australia, New Zealand and the global halal market.

" At least two countries in the Middle East have authorized the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use for healthcare workers and other priority individuals. The United Arab Emirates was the first to do so, in September, while the kingdom of Bahrain granted approval in November. In Bahrain 7,700 people had participated in the clinical trials there, and as of this month the vaccine is available to frontline healthworkers, according to a government spokesperson. "

" KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 29): To overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia is looking forward to intensifying efforts on vaccine development with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

In an exclusive interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM), Sultan Abdullah said UAE has demonstrated itself as a friend of Malaysia during this difficult period.

"Both countries could explore and intensify relations in the field of Covid-19 vaccine development and strengthen post-pandemic collaboration in the fields of health, education, food security, agriculture, future technology, renewable and clean energy, halal industry and tourism, just to name a few," he was quoted as saying in WAM’s report yesterday (Dec 29). "

If we collaborate the two articles as shown above, our DYMM AGONG; Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. is very keen to use SINOPHARM COVID 19 Vaccines as such, not surprised to us that MALAYSIA WILL ULTIMATELY APPROVE THE USAGE OF SINOPHARM VACCINE IN MALAYSIA VERY SOON. JUST WAIT AND SEE....
rather than we argue so much about this issue.

" At least two countries in the Middle East have authorized the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use for healthcare workers and other priority individuals. The United Arab Emirates was the first to do so, in September, while the kingdom of Bahrain granted approval in November. In Bahrain 7,700 people had participated in the clinical trials there, and as of this month the vaccine is available to frontline healthworkers, according to a government spokesperson. "

" KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 29): To overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia is looking forward to intensifying efforts on vaccine development with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

In an exclusive interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM), Sultan Abdullah said UAE has demonstrated itself as a friend of Malaysia during this difficult period.

"Both countries could explore and intensify relations in the field of Covid-19 vaccine development and strengthen post-pandemic collaboration in the fields of health, education, food security, agriculture, future technology, renewable and clean energy, halal industry and tourism, just to name a few," he was quoted as saying in WAM’s report yesterday (Dec 29). "

If we collaborate the two articles as shown above, our DYMM AGONG; Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. is very keen to use SINOPHARM COVID 19 Vaccines as such, not surprised to us that MALAYSIA WILL ULTIMATELY APPROVE THE USAGE OF SINOPHARM VACCINE IN MALAYSIA VERY SOON. JUST WAIT AND SEE....
rather than we argue so much about this issue.

Which other countries will use these vaccines?

China-developed vaccines currently make up a very small portion of global pre-orders of more than 7 billion confirmed purchases for Covid-19 vaccines—most of which have been for the candidates from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. And demand for the Chinese vaccines has mostly come from low or middle-income countries with a few exceptions.

At least two countries in the Middle East have authorized the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use for healthcare workers and other priority individuals. The United Arab Emirates was the first to do so, in September, while the kingdom of Bahrain granted approval in November. In Bahrain 7,700 people had participated in the clinical trials there, and as of this month the vaccine is available to frontline healthworkers, according to a government spokesperson.

Members of their ruling families, such as Dubai’s ruler and Bahrain’s crown prince, have been among the prominent early volunteers for the vaccine, making the region an early success in China’s vaccine diplomacy efforts.

Going by pre-orders tracked by a Duke University initiative, Chile has signed up for 60 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac, its biggest order of any of the vaccines. Indonesia has placed 50 million orders for it and Brazil has ordered a similar number, while Turkey has placed orders for 20 million doses (which could go up to 50 million). Indonesia has also ordered 60 million doses of one of the vaccines developed by Sinopharm.

Past vaccine scandals in China could make other potential users hesitant until more data are available about the country’s Covid-19 vaccines.

Malaysia to intensify Covid-19 vaccine development with UAE — Agong
Bernama
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Bernama

December 30, 2020 01:47 am +08
Malaysia to intensify Covid-19 vaccine development with UAE — Agong
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KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 29): To overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia is looking forward to intensifying efforts on vaccine development with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

In an exclusive interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM), Sultan Abdullah said UAE has demonstrated itself as a friend of Malaysia during this difficult period.

"Both countries could explore and intensify relations in the field of Covid-19 vaccine development and strengthen post-pandemic collaboration in the fields of health, education, food security, agriculture, future technology, renewable and clean energy, halal industry and tourism, just to name a few," he was quoted as saying in WAM’s report yesterday (Dec 29).
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Sultan Abdullah was on a five-day special visit to Abu Dhabi, UAE, where he also met with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al Nahyan who is also Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and other senior officials.

Meanwhile, Sultan Abdullah also commented on the common values between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, saying Malaysia, as a trading nation, has placed a strong emphasis on the relation with GCC countries, especially the UAE.

He said, Malaysia’s Islamic identity for decades has been factored into the ties with GCC countries, where issues of importance to the Muslim Ummah have been closely engaged.

"Malaysia also shares many similar and common values with GCC countries. With its strategic geographical location, UAE in particular, has been the main trading hub not only in this region but also in the world for decades,” said Sultan Abdullah.

"The deals with the Chinese and Russian manufacturers will include cooperation with Malaysian companies to carry out fill-and-finish work, Khairy said." meaning that DPHARMA will have chance to get projects on fill-and-finish works as they have the expertise and experiences as well as the professionals staff to carry out the job without delay.

Govt in talks to secure more vaccines from Russia, Pfizer, says Khairy
Rozanna Latiff & Liz Lee
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Reuters

December 23, 2020 15:47 pm +08
Govt in talks to secure more vaccines from Russia, Pfizer, says Khairy
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KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 23): Malaysia is in talks to buy 6.4 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine and wants to increase its purchases from US drugmaker Pfizer-BioNTech as the country looks to beef up its arsenal against the pandemic.

The Southeast Asian nation is spending about US$500 million to buy enough vaccines to inoculate 26.5 million people or 82.8% of its people.

It has already bought vaccines from Pfizer and Britain's AstraZeneca and expects to secure more from Chinese and Russian manufacturers, as well as from its participation in the global COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
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The government had increased its vaccine supply targets to take into account risks that some vaccines may not be approved by regulators or if manufacturers failed to deliver, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters.

"We want to have a little bit more of a buffer," he said.

In addition to the talks with Russia's Gamaleya Institute, the developer of the Sputnik V Vaccine, Malaysia is also in discussions with Chinese manufacturers Sinovac Biotech Ltd and CanSino Biologics to purchase their vaccines.

The deals with the Chinese and Russian manufacturers will include cooperation with Malaysian companies to carry out fill-and-finish work, Khairy said.

Malaysia has also secured 6.4 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine through COVAX, doubling the amount it had already agreed to purchase from the drugmaker.

The government is also in negotiations with Pfizer on an option to increase its purchase of vaccines to cover another 20% of its population, Khairy added.

Malaysia has purchased 12.8 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine so far, with the first shipment expected to arrive in February.

Kanger International - core business = Producer of Bamboo products.

Covid 19 Vaccine Business = Distributor of Covid-19 vaccines and medical equipment products in Malaysia for China Sinopharm Group Hunan Changde Medical Co. Ltd (SGHC). Also signed an MoU Zuellig Pharma to facilitate the import, warehousing and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
so market capitalization is about @RM372.12Mil.

What a contrast in news reports – Singapore received its first batch of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine while Malaysian Prime Minister only signing agreement with AstraZeneca for an additional 6.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine

(Tatal ke bawah untuk kenyataan versi BM)

What a contrast in news reports – Singapore received its first batch of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine while Malaysian Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin only signing agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for an additional 6.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine.

Singapore is the first Asian country to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech shots after it said last week that it had approved the companies’ vaccine and is expected to begin a widespread vaccination programme in the first week of January with the aged and priority work first, and a target to vaccinate the entire population of 5.3 million as soon as possible.

Malaysia? The Prime Minister has just signed agreement for the procurement of an additional 10 percent or 6.4 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for 40 percent of the population through Covax, Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

I thank the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin for inviting me to his post-Cabinet press conference tomorrow on the pricing of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.

I am not in Kuala Lumpur and will not be in Putrajaya for his press conference, especially as I believe that Malaysian journalists are among the best in the world and can handle Khairy’s press conference.

Let Khairy tell Malaysians the pricing difference between Malaysia’s procurement of Covid-19 vaccine with other countries like Belgium and Singapore.

And even more important, let Khairy announce that the vaccine will be free for all Malaysians.

However, if the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is prepared to hold a press conference or a special function to announce that the government is finally prepared to adopt an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach in the war against the third wave of Covid-19 pandemic, and the new measures in this strategy and approach, I will make myself available for Muhyiddin’s announcement if invited.

The US-based Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (IHME) projects a continuous rise in Covid-19 cases until mid-March 2021, hitting over 5,000 infections daily at the end of February.

If the IHME model is proved right, then Malaysia will join the top 30 countries in the world with the most rapid surge in Covid-19 infections, as there are less than 25 countries in the world which register a daily increase of 5,000 Covid-19 infections.

On Dec. 17, Malaysia overtook China with more cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, exchanging places with China in the ranking of countries with most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases – Malaysia No. 79 and China No. 80.

Yesterday, on Dec. 21, we surged forward in Covid-19 infections and is now ranked No. 76 in the world, having overtaken three more countries, i.e. Bahrain, Kenya and Libya after registering 2,018 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the nation’s cumulative total to 95,327 cases.

Malaysia is set to overtake more countries, in a trajectory to join the world’s top 30 countries with the most number of Covid-19 cases – a sure and serious sign of the Malaysia’s fast decline to a failed state.

Malaysians are increasingly concerned about the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, not just the procurement, prices and safety of Covid-19 vaccine but why the government is shying away from an “all-of-government” and “whole-of-society” strategy and approach to bring the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia under control.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 22nd December 2020)

that means sinopharm got the market shares as private hospitals or clinics in Malaysia can buy the vaccine privately with much reasonable price with good quality i guess as no commission granted to corrupted YBs as Wang pendahuluan..once wang pendahuluan given, afraid the quality of the vaccine will be easily tainted due to many interested people involved in it, for example MAS..SCANDAL

Which is the closest to regulatory approval?

Both Sinopharm and Sinovac seem to be running neck-and-neck.

Sinopharm subsidiary CNBG submitted an application to China’s Food and Drug Administration for regulatory approval this month, according to Chinese media reports last week. It’s unclear which of its two vaccine candidates the application was for, or if it applied for both.

Meanwhile, Brazilian regulators have said they expect to see the vaccine that has been tested there—Sinovac’s CoronaVac—get regulatory approval in China this month.

The “major announcement” teased by Wang, the deputy head of China’s task force on vaccine development, on Dec. 4, could refer to upcoming regulatory approval for one or more vaccines.

Which other countries will use these vaccines?

China-developed vaccines currently make up a very small portion of global pre-orders of more than 7 billion confirmed purchases for Covid-19 vaccines—most of which have been for the candidates from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. And demand for the Chinese vaccines has mostly come from low or middle-income countries with a few exceptions.

At least two countries in the Middle East have authorized the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use for healthcare workers and other priority individuals. The United Arab Emirates was the first to do so, in September, while the kingdom of Bahrain granted approval in November. In Bahrain 7,700 people had participated in the clinical trials there, and as of this month the vaccine is available to frontline healthworkers, according to a government spokesperson.

Members of their ruling families, such as Dubai’s ruler and Bahrain’s crown prince, have been among the prominent early volunteers for the vaccine, making the region an early success in China’s vaccine diplomacy efforts.

Going by pre-orders tracked by a Duke University initiative, Chile has signed up for 60 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac, its biggest order of any of the vaccines. Indonesia has placed 50 million orders for it and Brazil has ordered a similar number, while Turkey has placed orders for 20 million doses (which could go up to 50 million). Indonesia has also ordered 60 million doses of one of the vaccines developed by Sinopharm.

Past vaccine scandals in China could make other potential users hesitant until more data are available about the country’s Covid-19 vaccines.

Kanger rebounds to 0.140..meaning that the stock will move up to 0.180 today..hehehe

What report out Nathan27?