Vietnam's Self-Developed COVID Vaccine Fails to Receive Approval

"Scientific Data and Insufficient Evidence"

In December last year, a clinical trial volunteer (right) is receiving the Nanocovax vaccine at the Military Medical University Hospital in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Vietnam's first domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, 'Nanocovax,' did not receive emergency use authorization.

According to VN Express on the 24th, the Vietnamese Ministry of Health did not grant emergency use approval for Nanocovax, developed by the local pharmaceutical company Nanogen.

Vietnamese health authorities consider the scientific data and evidence for Nanocovax insufficient. Nguyen Ngo Quang, Deputy Director of the Department of Science, Technology, and Training at the Ministry of Health, stated, "Although Nanocovax showed remarkable immune response during Phase 2 clinical trials, the sample size was too small."

He added, "Data on the vaccine's effect in reducing infection rates or alleviating symptoms has not yet been submitted, and expert evaluations on immune response after the second dose have not been conducted."

In Vietnam, a total of four domestic vaccine projects, including 'Covivac,' are underway besides Nanocovax. Nanocovax is the frontrunner among them and has currently entered Phase 3 clinical trials involving over 13,000 participants.

Nanogen announced that Nanocovax's immune efficacy reaches 99.4%. The expected price per dose is 120,000 VND (approximately 6,000 KRW).

The Vietnamese government plans to secure a total of 150 million vaccine doses by the end of the year to vaccinate 70% of the entire population. However, vaccination rates remain low, with just over 1.5 million citizens vaccinated so far.