Pneucolin® successfully passed phase one to three clinical trial

In March 2020, Tencent Foundation donated HKD five millions to the vaccine project. Other fundings have come from the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) of the HKSAR and the Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Initiative (CEPI). Developed by HKU in collaboration with Xiamen University and Wantai Biopharm, the intranasal vaccine, Pneucolin®, successfully passed phase one to three clinical trials in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, and in four countries, i.e. South Africa, Philippines, Columbia and Vietnam.

Clinical trial data have shown that Pneucolin can significantly reduce symptomatic infections, prevent hospitalization and death caused by COVID-19. In December 2022, Pneucolin was approved for emergency use in humans in Mainland China, becoming the first intranasal vaccine for COVID-19 that received such approval. It has also been recommended as one of the vaccines for booster in response to the COVID-19 epidemic. As of Nov 2023, Pneucolin has been used in Beijing, Xiamen, Yancheng, Quanzhou, Fuzhou, and Suzhou.