KUALA LUMPUR: New research data recently published by Sinovac Biotech Ltd shows that three doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine produced higher neutralising antibodies in 95 per cent of recipients compared with 3.3 per cent by the second dose against Variants of Concern (VOC), including Omicron.

Sinovac Biotech Ltd spokesperson Pearson Liu, through a statement issued by Pharmaniaga Berhad today, said the research provides reassurance that inactivated vaccines, one of the most widely used vaccines globally, remain effective in the fight against COVID-19.

"As the world continues to combat the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, the results support a three-dose immunisation regimen to ensure greater protection against COVID-19, a finding which aligns with the advice of the World Health Organisation and local health authorities around the world for all types of COVID-19 vaccines," he said.

Pharmaniaga is the sole supplier of the Sinovac vaccine in Malaysia.

According to the statement, the research that was shared on bioRxiv's medical journal posting was conducted in China and examined the immune response of CoronaVac (Sinovac) in 120 participants.

In the research conducted amongst the participants who have received three doses of the CoronaVac, the researchers isolated 323 human monoclonal antibodies (antibodies made by cloning a unique white blood cell), which target various virus areas for effective killing.

The statement stated that out of these 323 antibodies, more than 300 antibodies exhibited adequate killing activity against most VOCs and Variants of Interest (VOI), and the research also showed that the majority of those antibodies have the ability to react with the Omicron Receptor Binding Domains (RBD).

It added that about a dozen of the antibodies show a direct and highly potent neutralisation effect for the Omicron variant whereby those antibodies executed their neutralisation by directly blocking the interactions between the virus and its human cells.

"Thus proving that the booster dose of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine will activate T cells against the Omicron variant, in a similar way to the original strain," the statement read.

Pharmaniaga Berhad is the leading pharmaceutical company of Boustead Holdings Berhad group of companies, and together with Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera, are the major shareholders of the company.

-- BERNAMA