Another Chinese pharma seeks permission for COVID vaccine trials in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Another Chinese pharma company has expressed interest in clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan, ARY News reported on Saturday, citing sources.

Sources privy to the development said, another Chinese company named Zafai Longcom has contacted the Drug Regulatory Authority Pakistan (DRAP) and expressed its desire for clinical trials of COVID-19 in Pakistan.

The Chinese company has requested the DRAP for cooperation in this regard.

A letter sent to the DRAP said that Zafai Longcom is a local pharmaceutical company in the Chinese province of Inoue, which has developed the corona vaccine in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and now wants clinical trials of possible vaccines in Pakistan.

The letter said that the clinical trials of the vaccine would be carried out in collaboration with a local pharma company. For the trials, the company wanted to transfer vaccines and test kits to Pakistan.

Read more: Phase-III trials of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine to begin in Pakistan in ’10 days’: Asad Umar

The company is currently testing its vaccine on 29,000 volunteers.

It may be noted that before this company, another Sinopharma of China has also conducted its clinical trials in Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar earlier had said that Pakistan is all set to participate in the Phase 3 trials of a Chinese developed coronavirus vaccine.