Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp (高端疫苗) on Tuesday said it has begun manufacturing its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, which it hopes to offer once it obtains an emergency use authorization (EUA).
The company has started producing antigens for its vaccine and filling them at a plant in Hsinchu, company spokesperson Leo Lee (李思賢) said by telephone.
“We hope to be able to offer our COVID-19 vaccine immediately after the Food and Drug Administration [FDA] greenlights it,” Lee said, declining to reveal how many doses the company has manufactured.
Photo: Huang Mei-chu, Taipei Times
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has said that locally developed COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available in July.
Medigen is running a phase 2 clinical trial of its experimental vaccine with 3,752 participants, who had been given the second shot by the end of last month, Lee said, adding that it plans to evaluate the drug’s efficacy at the end of this month.
The firm in the middle of next month would submit to health authorities its interim analysis report and hopes to gain the EUA soon, he said.
Asked if it is wise to start production when the FDA might change the vaccine formula, Lee said that the chances of that are slim, as the regulator reviewed the formula after the phase 1 trials.
“We expect two potential conclusions from the regulator’s review next month: pass or fail,” Lee said.
Medigen tested three doses of its vaccine — low, medium and high — in the phase 1 trials, with the medium dose showing the best potential, so the phase 2 trials only use the medium dose, he said.
“Even if the FDA concludes that the medium dose is not strong enough, the formula does not need to be changed, as the issue could be solved by giving people a third shot,” Lee said.
Medigen has not found serious adverse reactions or vaccine-associated enhanced diseases among participants in the phase 2 trials, it said.
An independent data monitoring committee said that its candidate is safe at a meeting on May 8, Medigen said.
SETBACK: Apple’s India iPhone push has been disrupted after Foxconn recalled hundreds of Chinese engineers, amid Beijing’s attempts to curb tech transfers Apple Inc assembly partner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known internationally as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), has recalled about 300 Chinese engineers from a factory in India, the latest setback for the iPhone maker’s push to rapidly expand in the country. The extraction of Chinese workers from the factory of Yuzhan Technology (India) Private Ltd, a Hon Hai component unit, in southern Tamil Nadu state, is the second such move in a few months. The company has started flying in Taiwanese engineers to replace staff leaving, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named, as the
The prices of gasoline and diesel at domestic fuel stations are to rise NT$0.1 and NT$0.4 per liter this week respectively, after international crude oil prices rose last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) announced yesterday. Effective today, gasoline prices at CPC and Formosa stations are to rise to NT$27.3, NT$28.8 and NT$30.8 per liter for 92, 95 and 98-octane unleaded gasoline respectively, the companies said in separate statements. The price of premium diesel is to rise to NT$26.2 per liter at CPC stations and NT$26 at Formosa pumps, they said. The announcements came after international crude oil prices
SinoPac Financial Holdings Co (永豐金控) is weighing whether to add a life insurance business to its portfolio, but would tread cautiously after completing three acquisitions in quick succession, president Stanley Chu (朱士廷) said yesterday. “We are carefully considering whether life insurance should play a role in SinoPac’s business map,” Chu told reporters ahead of an earnings conference. “Our priority is to ensure the success of the deals we have already made, even though we are tracking some possible targets.” Local media have reported that Mercuries Life Insurance Co (三商美邦人壽), which is seeking buyers amid financial strains, has invited three financial
CAUTION: Right now, artificial intelligence runs on faith, not productivity and eventually, the risk of a bubble will emerge,’ TIER economist Gordon Sun said Taiwanese manufacturers turned more optimistic last month, ending a five-month streak of declining sentiment as concerns over US tariffs, currency volatility and China’s overcapacity began to ease, the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER) said yesterday. The manufacturing business confidence index rose 1.17 points from June to 86.8, its first rebound since February. TIER economist Gordon Sun (孫明德) attributed the uptick to fading trade uncertainties, a steadier New Taiwan dollar and reduced competitive pressure from Chinese producers. Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is unlikely to face significant damage from Washington’s ongoing probe into semiconductors, given the US’ reliance on Taiwanese chips to power artificial
RSS