The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) on Friday has approved a single-dose CanSinoBIO coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in the country. Produced by China's CanSino Biologics Inc's, CanSinoBIO becomes the fourth vaccine candidate to get the nod from Pakistan's regulatory authority. The authority has already approved the Sinopharm vaccine, AstraZeneca's vaccine developed with Oxford University, and Russia's Sputnik V for emergency use in Pakistan. Pakistan is the second country to approve CanSinoBIO's vaccine after Mexico gave it a green light two days ago. Clinical trials for CanSinoBIO's vaccine are already going on in several countries, including Pakistan. On Monday, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan had announced that China's CanSinoBIO COVID-19 vaccine is nearly 75 percent effective against the virus in Pakistan. Taking to Twitter, Dr. Faisal Sultan had said that according to the vaccine's phase-three trial data, it has turned out to be 74.8 percent effective against the virus, while it also showed 100 percent effectiveness in preventing severe disease. Citing a report prepared by an independent committee, he said that in multiple countries, the vaccine was 65.7 percent and 90.98 percent effective in preventing symptomatic cases and severe diseases, respectively. Earlier this month, China's CanSino Biologics had said that an independent committee found the drugmaker's COVID-19 vaccine met its pre-specified primary safety and efficacy targets under an interim analysis of Phase-three trial data. — Agencies
