YONG Tai Bhd through its subsidiary YTB Healthcare Sdn Bhd has received its first batch of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine whuch was developed by the group’s Chinese strategic partner Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co Ltd (SZKT).
Witnessed by Senator Jaziri Alkaf Abdillah Suffian, the arrival of the vaccine sets the path for YTB Healthcare to roll out its Phase III clinical trial in Malaysia.
This follows the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency’s (NPRA) approval granted on June 3 for its Clinical Trial Import License (CTIL).
“I believe so far, we are the only private company that is able to bring a new type of COVID-19 vaccine into Malaysia – not to mention the first to commit and roll out Phase III clinical trial,” commented Yong Tai’s CEO and executive director Datuk Wira Boo Kuang Loon.
The SZKT’s vaccine has obtained the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) granted by the Chinese Government. SZKT has also commenced its vaccination programme in China with millions of China citizens inoculated with the vaccine since June 1.
“Once we roll out the Phase III clinical trial and with few months of accelerated data, we hope to apply for the Conditional Registration Approval for the adoption of the vaccine,” envisaged Boo.
“We wish to highlight that all vaccines used currently in Malaysia (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Sinovac) are under the Conditional Registration Approval. None has completed their full trial.”
Boo also expressed hope of having more volunteers to sign up with such trial as more data collected will expedite the trial and ultimately get Malaysians back to normalcy through herd immunity.
This Phase 3 clinical trial will enrol 3,000 subjects from Malaysia with all subjects to receive the vaccine in two doses 28 days apart.
Yong Tai whose core business is tourism-related property development is the exclusive distributor for SZKT’s vaccine with a period of five years (renewable) for no less than 20 million doses yearly.
“This venture will create a strong income stream and contribute positively to the group,” added Boo. – June 12, 2021
