Dubai, December 9: China's COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Beijing Institute of Biological Product, a unit of Sinopharm’s China National Biotec Group (CNBG), has shown 86 per cent efficacy said the health ministry of the United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday, citing an interim analysis of late-stage clinical trials, according to a report by Reuters. COVID-19 Vaccine Latest News: Sinopharm Seeks China's Approval to Launch Anti-Coronavirus Vaccines.

The third phase clinical trials of the Chinese vaccine started in UAE in July this year. Around 31,000 volunteers participated in the trial.The analysis shows “99 per cent seroconversion rate of neutralizing antibody and 100 per cent effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease”, the ministry said in a statement carried by the state news agency . Adding that the COVID-19 vaccine showed no serious safety concerns. World News | China Prepares Large-scale Rollout of COVID-19 Vaccines.

The vaccine uses an inactivated virus unable to replicate human cells to trigger immune responses, requires two doses, past trial data has showed. UAE conducted trial in partnership with CNBG, Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company Group 42 (G42) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health. The country has recorded 178,837 COVID-19 cases and 596 deaths so far.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 09, 2020 01:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).