China's CanSino signs mRNA Vaccination Contract with AstraZeneca

CanSino Biologics said earlier this week that it had committed to supply "contract development and manufacturing services" to AstraZeneca to support the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker's messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination programme. CanSino announced in a filing to the Shanghai Stock Exchange that it would manufacture and provide certain mRNA products to AstraZeneca.

The deal's value was not disclosed. AstraZeneca stated that the agreement would fund innovative mRNA vaccines in its early pipeline. "AstraZeneca is working on next-generation technologies to develop vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for infectious diseases where there is a high unmet need," the company stated, adding that additional information will be released as the candidates progressed. mRNA vaccines are still not commonly used in China, which has depended on locally produced COVID-19 vaccines rather than permitting mRNA products from foreign producers to be imported. CSPC Pharmaceutical Group created the country's first homegrown mRNA vaccine against COVID, which was licenced in March. CanSino has been developing its own mRNA COVID vaccine, CS-2034, and announced in February that it was in discussions with Chinese regulators on the protocol for a late-stage study of the vaccine.

AstraZeneca is the largest foreign drugmaker in China, and it is increasing its bets on the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market despite falling sales of its COVID vaccine. It also comes after vaccine maker Moderna, which has said that it was keen to sell its mRNA vaccine to China, announced a deal last month to develop and manufacture mRNA medicines in the country.