Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine 79% effective, seeks approval in China

BEIJING/SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A vaccine developed by a unit of China National Biotec Group (CNBG) is 79.34% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 and the company is seeking regulatory approval for general public use in China, the developer said on Wednesday. The efficacy rate, based on interim analysis of Phase 3 clinical trials, is lower than 86% rate for the same vaccine announced by the United Arab Emirates on Dec. 9, based on preliminary data from trials there. A company spokeswoman declined to explain the discrepancy and said detailed results would be released later, without giving a timeline. There have…