(Yicai Global) Feb. 1 -- Shares in CanSino Biologics surged as much as 25 percent today to hit an all-time high on the news that an independent committee has found the Chinese vaccine maker’s recombinant Covid-19 jab to meet the necessary efficacy and safety criteria in an interim analysis of third phase clinical trial data.

The Independent Data Monitoring Committee has given Tianjin-based CanSino the green light to finish final stage tests of its Ad5-nCoV jab, the company said today. Trials on 40,000 volunteers in five countries have been completed and no major adverse reactions to the vaccine were found, it added.

CanSino’s Hong Kong stock [HKG:6185] closed up 17.3 percent at HKD296 (USD38.18). It had earlier in the day touched HKD317.40 (USD41) apiece. On the mainland, the company’s shares [SHA:688185] gained 8.5 percent to finish at CNY390.51 (USD60.42).

There are four recombinant adenovirus vector vaccine candidates that have reached the final stage of trials. British pharma giant AstraZeneca’s AZD1222 jab has secured Emergency Use Authorization both in Europe and the US. The US’ Johnson& Johnson JNJ-78436735 vaccine is expecting to get a similar license in the US this month. Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, is still in phase III trials.

Both CanSino and Johnson & Johnson are developing single dose jabs, as opposed to multiple dose ones, which will greatly simplify the vaccination process, a public health expert told Yicai Global.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Kim Taylor