A Chinese vaccine company has for the first time won international regulatory approval for one of its products, paving the way for its distribution in other parts of the world.
Chengdu Institute of Biological Products, part of China National Biotec, has received “pre-qualification” from the World Health Org-anisation for its vaccine to protect against Japanese encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne infection that kills 10,000-15,000 people a year.
While several other manufacturers make similar JE vaccines, the new single-dose Chinese product is the first to be approved for paediatric use and paves the way for cut-price generic competition.