Full Press Release Details
SINOVAC BIOTECH LTD. 6K, PRESS RELEASE
SINOVAC BIOTECH LTD.
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HAS INITIATED NEW HUMAN INFLUENZA VACCINE R&D PROJECT AND IS EXPECTED TO
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COMPLETE PRE-CLINICAL RESEARCH BY THE END OF THIS YEAR
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BEIJING, March 23, 2004 - Sinovac Biotech Ltd. ("Sinovac") (NASD OTC-BB: SNVBF,
Frankfurt: SVQ) is pleased to announce that it has initiated the Inactivated New
Human Influenza (H5N1) Vaccine Research and Development Project. Based on the
protocol, it is expected to finish pre-clinical research by the end of this
A professional workshop was held by the Chinese "Bird-Human Infection Prevention
and Control Team" in Beijing on Feb. 11, 2004. Mr. Xiaoping DONG and Mr. Dexin
Li from China CDC and Dr. Weidong Yin, President of Sinovac Biotech Ltd.,
presented the "New Human Influenza Vaccine Research and Development Protocol".
After this, the Control Team decided to immediately initiate the New Human
Influenza Vaccine R&D project.
The Science and Technology Team of the National Headquarters for Highly
Infectious Avian Flu officially issued the project document. This document lists
the New Human Influenza Vaccine R&D project in the first group of projects for
Highly Infectious Avian Flu Prevention and Control Programs and assigns the task
to China CDC, Sinovac, China National Biotech Corporation, and NICPBP. Moreover,
Sinovac and the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention of
China CDC jointly developed the first-ever Inactivated SARS vaccine.
According to the New Human Influenza Vaccine R & D Protocol, scientists will
take the virus strain from avian flu (H5N1) patients in Hong Kong and Vietnam.
The vaccine is produced through the steps of manual cultivation, propagation,
inactivation, purification, and splitting of virus strain (H5N1). This set of
processes mainly include: studies on virus strain breeding; infectious titer;
antigenicity; immunogenicity; establishment and testing on primary seed lot;
master seed lot; working seed lot of viral seed; passage stability study;
vaccine bulk production technology study; preparation prescription method study;
testing method study; antigenicity; immunogenicity; animal protection study;
animal-safety evaluation; final product stability study; and scaled-production
method study. It is expected that this pre-clinical research will be finished by
the end of this year.
According to Dr. Weidong Yin, President of Sinovac, "Our domestic scientists are
experienced in Split Flu vaccine R&D. Beyond this, in the past year we have
successfully developed the first ever Inactivated SARS Vaccine in the world. We
have a reliable platform with excellent scientific research capability,
significant experience, a P3 Lab, a modern vaccine production base for the New
Human Influenza Vaccine R&D, support from the Chinese Government, and we are
able to integrate all kinds of resources - making it possible to accomplish the
scientific research within the shortest time."
Dr. Yin added, "it is easy to do H5N1 virus strain breeding, but biosafety is
the biggest problem during the time of virus strain culturing, propagation, and
inactivation. Current epidemiology shows that H5N1 is highly infectious and
pathogenic for birds, but not that serious for humans. However, whenever H5N1
virus combines with human flu virus and two of them recombine to be a new flu
virus, then it is possible for the virus to be highly infectious and pathogenic
to humans." This kind of pandemic caused by recombination of human-bird flu
virus has historically happened three times. It caused worldwide disaster each
Moreover, according to Mr. Yin, in order to prevent "Newly developed Reassortant
strain of highly pathogenic New Human Influenza" - caused by reassorting of
human and bird flu virus together - Sinovac decided to develop inactivated
vaccine with reassortant bird flu virus strain for humans by using gene
reassorting techniques. The Reassortant virus strain has been prepared by the
scientists in the flu network laboratory of World Health Organization (WHO). It
is expected to be assigned to SINOVAC at the end of March this year.
A special report on China's efforts against bird flu is available from China's
Xin Hua news agency at
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About Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
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Sinovac Biotech Ltd. specializes in the research, development,
commercialization, and sales of human vaccines for infectious illnesses such as
Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, influenza and "SARS."
For further information please refer to the Company's filings with the SEC on
EDGAR or refer to Sinovac's website at www.Sinovac.com .
Contact: Graham Taylor at (888) 888 8312 or (604) 684-5990.
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