The inactivated COVID-19 vaccine production workshop of Sinopharm China National Biotec Group (CNBG) in Beijing Photo: Courtesy of CNBG

China National Biotec Group (CNBG), a subsidiary of Sinopharm, said Saturday that it expects the production capacity of its COVID-19 vaccine to reach 1 billion doses next year. It has carried out phase III clinical trials in 10 countries and regions worldwide, with 60,000 subjects included in the testing, Beijing Daily reported.

As of November 26, a total of 48 COVID-19 vaccines worldwide have entered clinical trials, of which 11 have entered phase III clinical trials. China has four vaccines in the phase III stage, including three inactivated vaccines and one viral vector vaccine, CNBG chairman Yang Xiaoming said at an infectious diseases seminar in Beijing.

CNBG's current workshops in Beijing and Wuhan can produce 300 million doses a year. With the construction of more workshops to be completed by the end of the year, it expects the production capacity to reach 1 billion doses in 2021.

"Tests have proved that the serum of subjects vaccinated with CNBG's vaccine can produce a cross-neutralization effect with several virus strains, indicating that the vaccine can protect people against COVID-19 infections in many places around the world," Yang noted.

He added that of all the 60,000 subjects vaccinated during the phase III clinical trials, none has reported any antibody-dependent enhancement effects.