(Yicai Global) Dec. 11 -- A Covid-19 vaccine developed by Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products began Phase III human trials in Uzbekistan yesterday, making the Central Asian country the first to kick off the shot’s global third-stage tests.

Some 5,000 volunteers will take part in testing the recombinant vaccine, which was developed by Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Zhifei Biological, and the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

It was the first Chinese recombinant subunit vaccine for Covid-19 and also the fifth candidate jab to enter Phase III trials in China on Nov. 18.

The Uzbek government will provide the necessary guarantees to ensure the smooth progress of the trials, said Deputy Prime Minister Bekzod Musayev, adding that he believes the collaboration between his country and China will bear fruitful results.

All four other China-developed Covid-19 vaccines have entered Phase III clinical trials, and are proceeding smoothly.

There are three inactivated vaccines from the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products affiliated with China National Pharmaceutical Group, also known as Sinopharm; the Beijing Institute of Biological Products under Sinopharm; and Sinovac Life Sciences, a Covid-19 vaccine-making unit of drugmaker Sinovac Biotech. There is also an adenovirus vector vaccine jointly created by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and CanSino Biologics.

Shares of Zhifei Biological [SHE: 300122] fell 2.7 percent today to CNY138.5 (USD21.10) each. The benchmark Shenzhen Component Index fell 1.3 percent.

Editor: Peter Thomas