Following Shanghai, Wuxi, Yangzhou, Tianjin, Hangzhou and other cities, Beijing has recently fully launched the appointment and vaccination process for CanSino Biologics' Inhaled Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector). A relevant person in charge from CanSino Biologics Inc. recently told a China News Service reporter in Beijing that the inhaled vaccine will gradually be expanded to more provinces and cities in the future, and personnel are currently being organized to train medical staff at internal and provincial vaccination sites on the operation of the equipment.

Inhaled Vaccine Dosage: Only One-Fifth of Intramuscular Injection

Without altering the vaccine's components, CanSino Biologics innovated the administration method by aerosolizing the vaccine into tiny droplets, launching the world's first COVID-19 vaccine administered via "oral inhalation." This method simulates the virus's entry process into the human body, providing a "invisible mask" for the respiratory system.

Liu Wei, Senior Vice President of Organizational Management and Human Resources at CanSino Biologics, told reporters that the formulation of the inhaled vaccine is the same as that of the intramuscular vaccine. Based on the intramuscular adenovirus vector COVID-19 vaccine Convidecia, CanSino Biologics developed the inhaled COVID-19 vaccine Convidecia Air, administered through oral inhalation. The dosage for inhalation is only one-fifth of that for intramuscular injection.

Liu Wei stated that using the inhalation route for administration, on one hand, leverages the large surface area of the respiratory mucosa, increasing the area for immune response, which can better facilitate antigen expression and enhance vaccine efficacy. On the other hand, the inhaled vaccine, by contacting the mucosa, can induce mucosal immunity in the body, potentially blocking virus transmission and preventing infection.

Vaccine Passes World-Class "Major Examination"

On May 19 this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector) Convidecia, developed by CanSino Biologics Inc. of China, had officially received WHO Emergency Use Listing. This was the 11th COVID-19 vaccine globally to receive WHO Emergency Use Authorization.

On January 20, 2020, CanSino Biologics officially initiated the project to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. In March of the same year, after 55 days of round-the-clock effort by all staff and strict review by relevant authorities, they successfully developed the world's first COVID-19 vaccine to enter the clinical stage. The intramuscular COVID-19 vaccine Convidecia received conditional marketing authorization from the National Medical Products Administration just 400 days after the project's initiation.

Regarding this development speed, Liu Wei stated that the CanSino Biologics COVID-19 vaccine was developed based on the viral vector technology platform. In the early stages of the COVID-19 vaccine project, considering the existing technology platforms comprehensively, the adenovirus vector platform was deemed mature, stable, rapid, and effective. Given the time constraints for development, the decision was made to utilize the adenovirus vector technology for the COVID-19 vaccine development.

"CanSino Biologics' technology platforms allow us to initiate vaccine development very quickly," Yu Xuefeng, Chairman and CEO of CanSino Biologics, said in a previous media interview. "For example, with the Omicron variant, we only need to understand its mutations and sequences. Whether using the adenovirus vector platform or the mRNA technology platform, we can initiate the corresponding work promptly."

Booster Vaccination Launched in Multiple Locations

On October 26, Shanghai became the first city in China to initiate booster vaccination with CanSino Biologics' Inhaled Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector).

According to the deployment of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council, individuals aged 18 and above who have completed the full course of inactivated vaccines or the intramuscular Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector) for at least 6 months can choose to receive one booster dose of the Inhaled Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector).

Liu Wei stated that after the inhaled COVID-19 vaccine was granted emergency use authorization in China, vaccination began in Shanghai, Jiangsu, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Beijing and other places starting from October 2022. The inhaled vaccine will gradually be extended to provinces and cities across the country in the future. Currently, personnel are also being organized to train medical staff at internal and provincial vaccination sites on the operation of the equipment.