Work being done on 2 vaccines amid tech transfer deals

BANGKOK • Vietnam initially had four Covid-19 vaccine candidates as it tried to capitalise on its head start from successfully containing earlier waves of the outbreak.

At this point, two candidates are in the clear lead: Nanocovax, developed by Nanogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in collaboration with Vietnam Military Medical University, and Covivac, developed by the health ministry's Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals. Human trials have started on these vaccine candidates alongside preparatory work undertaken by Vietnam to manufacture vaccines from Russia, the United States and Japan under technology transfer deals.