Clinical Trial for Ebola vaccine approved by China

The Chinese official Xinhua news agency,citing the People's Liberation Army logistics unit reported that China has approved the clinical trials for a domestically developed experimental Ebola vaccine.

The Chinese vaccine is being developed by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Xinhua said, a military research unit which is also involved in developing a drug to treat the disease.

But it is not clear that when the trials would start. Xinhua also reported that the Chinese biotechnology firm, Tianjin CanSino Biotechnology Inc is also involved in developing the vaccine

After the world's worst outbreak of the virus, which has killed more than 6,000 people in West Africa this year,ccientists around the world are racing to develop Ebola vaccines .

GlaxoSmithKline PLC is one of the front runners in developing an Ebola vaccine along with a vaccine being developed by Merck and NewLink. Both are in clinical trials, while other experimental vaccines are expected to start clinical trials next year.A big trial in Liberia, involving up to 30,000 participants, will test single shots of GSK's vaccine, the rival one from NewLink and Merck, and a placebo.

(Courtesy:Reuters)