(Yicai Global) Sept. 30 -- Indonesia has approved the emergency use of its first Chinese mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, co-developed by Walvax Biotechnology.

The inoculation, named AWcorna, is suitable for people aged 18 and above to prevent Covid-19 infections, the National Agency for Food and Drug Control announced yesterday. 

Walvax, which currently produces the vaccine at its home base in Yunnan province, is planning to start making the product locally in the Southeast Asian country in the future. Unlike Pfizer’s mRNA Covid-19 vaccine, AWcorna can be stored between two and eight degrees Celsius and transported under conventional cold chain conditions instead of freezing.

Walvax and Abogen Biosciences co-developed AWcorna. Its phase-three clinical trial results have yet to be published and the inoculation has not yet been authorized for emergency use in China. In April, Walvax said that clinical fieldwork of the third phase was basically done, while data collation and serum testing were underway.

The firm has fully mastered the key core technologies of mRNA vaccines, completing a localization of major raw materials and production equipment, said Li Yunchun, chairman of Walvax.

Walvax launched a clinical trial of the product in Mexico last September. At that time, the company said it had also obtained clinical trial approvals in Indonesia and Nepal.

Several other Chinese biotech companies are also developing messenger Covid-19 vaccines that use a novel method to teach cells how to trigger an immune response instead of doing the same by using small pieces of virus or bacteria. CanSino Biologics’ vaccine is undergoing phase-two clinical trials while Stemirna Therapeutics’ product is in phase one. 

Walvax's share price [SHE: 300142] closed 0.5 percent up at CNY37.10 (USD5.20).

Editors: Tang Shihua, Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi