The second phase of clinical tests of China's hepatitis B
vaccine are being carried out on 46 chronic hepatitis B patients to
test the vaccine's effectiveness, according to expert Wu
Yuzhang.
The patients began treatment in June and will remain under close
medical observation until the tests end next March, said Wu, head
of the Immunology Institute of the People's Liberation Army.
The research team headed by Wu completed the first phase of
clinical test of the vaccine in June 2003. Nine months of
monitoring proved that the tests are safe for humans.
52 healthy volunteers are taking part in the tests.
"The vaccine needs to go through a third phase of clinical tests
before being put into production. The third phase of tests will be
conducted on a larger group of hepatitis B patients to test safety
and effectiveness," Wu said.
It is estimated that about 100 million Chinese are living with
hepatitis B and about 20 million of them are chronic hepatitis B
patients. Each year in China about 280,000 people die of cirrhosis
or liver cancer linked to hepatitis B. Globally, about 350 million
people are infected with hepatitis B.
Wu said the hepatitis B global inoculation scheme being promoted
by the World Health Organization is based on a preventive vaccine,
which has no effect on infected people and fails to protect five to
15 percent of newborns. So far, no vaccine has succeeded in killing
the virus in the patient's body, he said.
Li Lanjuan, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of
Engineering, said at a recent medical forum that current hepatitis
B vaccines have no effect on about five percent of receivers, and
cannot kill the virus completely.
Wu said China has full intellectual property rights over the new
vaccine.
China has recently stepped up efforts to raise public awareness
of the disease. The Chinese Foundation for Hepatitis Prevention and
Control has invited Andy Lau, a famous Hong Kong star, who is
carrying the hepatitis B virus, to be a publicity ambassador for
the prevention and control of the disease.
The Chinese Ministry of Health has begun a year-long nationwide
survey of the hepatitis B situation, in order to update data and
guidelines on prevention and control of the disease.
(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2006)