BEIJING -- April 17, 2020 -- Sinovac Biotech Ltd. (NASDAQ:SVA) (“Sinovac” or the “Company”), a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, today announced that the Company has commenced Phase I clinical trial, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled study, for its vaccine candidate against COVID-19. Enrollment of the first group of volunteers and the first dose of vaccination for these volunteers have been completed.

This study is to evaluate the safety, tolerance, and preliminary immunogenicity of the Company’s SARS-CoV-2 vaccine by vaccinating 144 healthy adults, aged from 18 to 59, with two different dosages of the vaccine candidate. Two-thirds of the volunteers will be vaccinated with the investigational vaccine while one-third of volunteers will be administered with the placebo. The trial is being conducted in Jiangsu Province.

On April 13, 2020, the randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase I/II clinical trials of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine developed by Sinovac was approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to evaluate the vaccine candidate’s safety and immunogenicity.

Mr. Weidong Yin, Chairman, President and CEO said, “The vaccine is critical to the eventual prevention of the spread of COVID-19. Commencing our human trial is another milestone achieved by our scientists together with our vaccine development partners. Sinovac will accelerate the progress of our research in order to support the worldwide fight against COVID-19.”

About Sinovac

Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is a China-based biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the research, development, manufacturing and commercialization of vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases. Sinovac's product portfolio includes vaccines against enterovirus71 (EV71), hepatitis A and B, seasonal influenza, H5N1 pandemic influenza (avian flu), H1N1 influenza (swine flu), varicella vaccine and mumps. Healive, the hepatitis A vaccine manufactured by the Company, has passed the assessment under WHO prequalification procedures in 2017. The EV71 vaccine, an innovative vaccine developed by Sinovac against hand foot and mouth disease caused by EV71, was commercialized in China in 2016. In 2009, Sinovac was the first company worldwide to receive approval for its H1N1 influenza vaccine, which it has supplied to the Chinese Government's vaccination campaign and stockpiling program. The Company is also the only supplier of the H5N1 pandemic influenza vaccine to the Chinese Government’s stockpiling program. The Company is developing a number of new products including a Sabin-strain inactivated polio vaccine, pneumococcal polysaccharides vaccine, a quadrivalent influenza vaccine and a SARS-CoV-2 (commonly referred to as COVID-19) vaccine. Sinovac primarily sells its vaccines in China, while also exploring growth opportunities in international markets. The Company is registering its products in over 30 countries outside of China. For more information please see the Company’s website at www.sinovac.com.

Source: Sinovac