October 24, 2023 - CanSino Biologics Inc. (CanSinoBIO) (SSE: 688185, HKEX: 06185) today announced that it has entered into a Grant Agreement (the Agreement) with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (the Foundation) to support development and clinical trial of the CS-2036 Poliomyelitis Vaccine (the CS-2036), a polio vaccine based on virus-like particles.

Poliomyelitis, also known as polio, is a crippling and sometimes fatal disease caused by poliovirus that mainly affects children under 5 years old. However, there is no cure for polio, and vaccination remains the most effective way of preventing and controlling the disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of polio cases from wild poliovirus reported globally has dropped from about 350,000 in 1988 to 30 in 2022, with only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – still reporting wild poliovirus infections. This outstanding progress is the result of a global effort by the governments of polio-affected countries and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) which includes UNICEF, the WHO, Rotary International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the US CDC, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Currently, the world relies on two main types of vaccines to protect children from polio, oral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). While OPVs utilize a live attenuated form of the virus, IPV is manufactured from inactivated forms of wild poliovirus strains. Thus, while there is a small risk of live attenuated strains of OPV reverting to variants causing outbreaks in settings of poor immunization coverage, there is also a small risk of containment failure in IPV production facilities leading to community exposure to wild polioviruses.

To minimize the risk of re-introduction of polioviruses into the community, CanSinoBIO has built upon the work of a WHO supported consortium of scientists to develop CS-2036, an innovative polio vaccine based upon protein structure design and virus-like particle (VLP) assembly technology. Unlike marketed vaccines, CS-2036 does not rely on live virus in its production process. The GPEI considers polio VLP vaccines as a potentially ideal approach to polio vaccines in the post-eradication era.

Xuefeng Yu, co-founder, Chairman and CEO of CanSinoBIO, expressed his gratitude for the trust and support from the Foundation, and said: “We have been actively engaging in the WHO’s Polio Eradication Strategy, and closely following the disease prevention needs from different countries and regions in the world. Upon successful launch, this innovative vaccine will make remarkable contribution to maintain a polio-free world, and protect millions of children and families from the threat of this terrible disease.” He also said: “The Agreement will also help our innovative products to contribute to the global medical accessibility and affordability.”

CanSinoBIO expects to continue partnering with global institutions to overcome the challenges, and fulfill our social responsibility. With our product and technology advantages, CanSinoBIO is devoted to provide innovative, high-quality, and affordable vaccine products to the world, and to promote the development of global public health.