Chinese HPV vaccine gets permission for clinical testing

XIAMEN -- A second-generation HPV vaccine has been approved by China Food and Drug Administration for clinical testing, the developer said Wednesday.

It is the world's second second-generation human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine to reach the clinical test stage, following one developed by Merck & Co Inc (MSD), which also obtained permission for clinical testing in China.

The research is led by the National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, based at Xiamen University in East China's Fujian province. The vaccine will be produced in Xiamen, if approved.

Compared with the first-generation vaccine, the new one can protect against five more high-risk types of HPV and two more low-risk types. It is estimated it will be able to prevent about 90 percent of cervical cancers and genital warts.

Developers at Xiamen University said the vaccine uses more cost-effective coliform bacteria as the effective antigen, while foreign companies use yeast or insect cells, giving it an edge in the market.

The Chinese HPV vaccine is expected to enter the market in 2022 after four to five years of clinical testing.