Sinovac Biotech Begins Phase II Test of Bird Flu Vaccine

Sinovac Biotech, a Beijing-based biotech that specializes in vaccines, announced that the Chinese government will allow it to begin Phase II trials of Panflu, its avian flu vaccine.

In the Phase I trial, 120 patients were given a two-dose regimen of 30 micrograms of Panflu, which was administered along with an adjuvant. The vaccine contained a modified version of the whole H5N1 virus.

In the Phase II trial, Sinovac will simultaneously conduct a Phase Ib and Phase II test of the split-virion version of the vaccine in addition to the regular Phase II trial of the whole virion vaccine.