Sinovac reports positive results from coronavirus vax study, preps phase 3 trials

China’s Sinovac Biotech reported that 90 percent of patients in a phase 1/2 trial of its coronavirus vaccine successfully developed antibodies.

The study included 743 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18-59, who were either given the vaccine or a placebo. Tests showed an immune response in participants two weeks after being given the vaccine, called CoronaVac.

With its positive results in hand, the company is now planning a phase 3 trial in Brazil, which has the second highest number of coronavirus infections worldwide. For the trial, Sinovac partnered with Instituto Butantan, who, in return, will receive a license to the vaccine in Brazil.

Sinovac said that some data from the trial — such as the level of antibodies produced by the vaccine — will be published soon in academic journals. The vaccine is one of five leading candidates being developed in China. Unlike several of the lead candidates in the U.S. which use mRNA technology, Sinovac’s candidate uses an inactive version of the virus.

Moderna also recently reported that is planning to launch a phase 3 trial in the U.S. for its candidate, mRNA-1273, this July. A later stage trial for a candidate being developed by AstraZeneca/Oxford is then expected to start in August, followed by a trial for Johnson & Johnson’s candidate in September.