CSPC Pharmaceutical's SYS6006 has gained an emergency use authorization in China less than one year after entering clinical trials, becoming the first mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 to be approved in the country.

Improvements in generating, purifying, and delivering RNA material, as well as addressing challenges with degradation by enzymes, have made the RNA class more attractive to drug developers.

Additional Chinese coronavirus vaccine makers are now building up capacity, with Beijing-based AIM Vaccine preparing for a 400 million dose per year production capability for mRNA vaccines, while Chengdu-based Clover is to supply up to 414 million doses of its vaccines to GAVI.