BRICS research center to focus on vaccines

A vaccine research and development center, namely the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center-China Center, was launched on Friday in Beijing to enhance ties among BRICS nations.

Chinese COVID-19 vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech said on Friday the establishment of the center, authorized by the Ministry of Science and Technology, will usher in broader international cooperation between the emerging markets that make up BRICS members－Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The new facility is the only BRICS Vaccine R&D Center in China, said Xu Qiang, director of the Beijing Science and Technology Commission, at the launch ceremony－an event paired with the closing ceremony of Beijing Science and Technology Week in Haidian district on Friday.

The establishment of the center is in line with the central leadership's call at the 12th BRICS summit in November to work with other BRICS countries both online and offline to advance collective vaccine research and trials, set up plants, authorize production and recognize each other's standards.

President Xi Jinping said at the summit that to support the development of the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center, China has designated its own national center.

Yang Guang, chief business officer for Sinovac Biotech Ltd, said at the launch that the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center-China Center will further carry out cooperation not only with BRICS countries but also with other regions, and enhance ties with universities, scientific research institutions as well as health and disease control institutions worldwide to monitor contagion changes and virus mutations in order to promote vaccine research and industrialization. Sinovac will fund relevant institutions in real-world study regarding vaccine development.

The center plans to recruit scientists from around the world, Yang said.

She added that Sinovac has carried out fruitful cooperation with its Brazilian partner the Butantan Institute in developing and testing COVID-19 vaccines.

Moreover, following authorization, approved vaccines have achieved localized production in Brazil.

"In addition, Sinovac also cooperated with scientists from Indonesia, Turkey, Chile and other countries on the research of CoronaVac (a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Sinovac Biotech)," Yang said.

So far, Sinovac has supplied around 540 million doses of CoronaVac for recipients in China and nearly 40 countries and regions globally, accounting for around a quarter of the total global coronavirus vaccine supply.

Xu added: "The establishment of the BRICS Vaccine R&D Center-China Center in Beijing demonstrates Beijing's edge in the vaccine field. In the future, the center will represent China's vaccine R&D capabilities and promote vaccine cooperation in the establishment of factories, strengthen research and development trials as well as authorize production to expand cooperation among BRICS countries."