US firm to transfer Covid-19 vaccine technology to Vingroup

Vinbiocare, a unit of Vietnam's biggest private conglomerate Vingroup, has signed a deal for the domestic manufacturing rights to Arcturus's vaccines, including ARCT-154 that targets fast-spreading variants such as the Delta strain.

A Vingroup's representative said it will cooperate with the Health Ministry to conduct phase three of the clinical trial of the mRNA-based candidate ARCT-154 in around 20,000 adults.

The first two phases in Singapore and the U.S. have ensured the vaccine's safety, the source said.

Vingroup plans to apply for approval for emergency use of the vaccine in Vietnam this year and start production in early 2022. A factory under construction is expected to produce 200 million doses a year.

Vietnam is having four domestic vaccines under development, with Nanocovax by Nanogen already in the third and final phase of human trials.

The country has secured deals for 130 million doses so far and is in talks with other manufacturers for another 40 million shots. The government aims to vaccinate 70 percent of the country’s 96 million population by April next year.