A potential COVID vaccine developed by Sinopharm has 86% effective only, United Arab Emirates health officials said Wednesday, quoting an interim evaluation of final-phase clinical tests.
The effectiveness rate is below that of two vaccines developed by Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech and by Moderna, Inc. According to Pfizer, its vaccine was 95% effective based on trials of 170 patients who developed COVID with at least one symptom.
The UAE conducted a clinical test of Sinopharm's vaccine starting in September and involving 31,000 patients from 125 countries. The subjects between 18 years and 60 years were given two shots of the vaccine over 28 days.
The UAE health ministry said it had registered the China treatment. It started phase three tests in July and kicked off emergency use three months later.
Neither the UAE government nor Sinopharm has provided details.
"The analysis shows no serious safety concerns," The Associated Press quoted the UAE statement as saying without elaborating on side effects.
Sinopharm's experimental vaccine is based on an inactivated virus - which means the pathogen is incapacitated for use in subjects. The results contrast with another COVID vaccine from Sinovac Biotech - CoronaVac - which showed inconclusive results.
The UAE trial is a collaboration between China National Biotec Group, Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence company Group 42 and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health. Sinopharm and Group 42 have expanded the test to Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt.
The Sinopharm vaccine has been authorized for emergency use in several countries and the pharmaceutical company is still conducting advance-phase clinical tests in 10 countries.
