China's homegrown 9-valent HPV vaccine expected to boost immunisation coverage
BEIJING (June 8): China's drug regulator has approved the country's first domestically developed 9-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, ending over a decade of foreign dominance in the market.
The vaccine, Cecolin 9, has been included on a list of approved medical products that was made public by the National Medical Products Administration on Wednesday.
'The approval of Cecolin 9 not only offers more vaccination options for eligible women in China, but is also expected to improve vaccine accessibility and coverage, reducing the risk of cervical cancer further,' said Zhang Jun, dean of the School of Public Health at Xiamen University and a leading member of the vaccine development team.
HPV vaccines are commonly used to prevent cervical cancer in women, as well as genital cancers and warts in both men and women.
Cecolin 9, which targets nine HPV strains, was developed by Xiamen University, the Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory and Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd, marking a breakthrough in China's ability to produce high-valency HPV vaccines independently.
China is now the second country – after the United States – capable of supplying 9-valent HPV vaccines.
Compared to bivalent HPV vaccines, which are effective against two high-risk genotypes (HPV 16 and 18), 9-valent HPV vaccines protect against an additional five high-risk genotypes (HPV 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58) and two low-risk genotypes (HPV 6 and 11), and provide better protection against cervical cancer.
Over 18 years of research, scientists overcame major technical challenges in producing virus-like particles (VLPs) from multiple HPV types using an E. coli platform, and completed crucial clinical trial validation processes.
Five related clinical trials have been conducted across China since 2019, and the vaccine has demonstrated a favorable safety profile and a strong immune response, comparable to those of similar international products.
Statistics show that globally, approximately 700,000 cancer cases each year are associated with HPV, including an estimated 530,000 cases of cervical cancer. Vaccination is up to 94 percent effective in preventing HPV infection.
In 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer, aiming for 90 percent of girls to be fully vaccinated against HPV by the age of 15 by 2030.
In alignment with the WHO strategy, China's National Health Commission launched a cervical cancer elimination action plan for the 2022-2030 period, urging the expansion of HPV vaccination coverage nationwide. 9-valent human papillomavirus China hpv vaccine
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
14 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Dzulkefly: One placement option in Sabah or Sarawak now compulsory for medical officers
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry (MOH) has made it mandatory for contract medical officers appointed to permanent positions to select at least one placement option in Sabah or Sarawak through the e-Placement 2.0 system, to address the uneven distribution of healthcare personnel between Peninsular Malaysia and the Borneo states. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said this approach, which has never been implemented before, reflects the government's strong commitment to narrowing the gap in the placement of specialists, doctors, and nurses in the country. "It is mandatory that one of the three choices must be a placement in Sabah or Sarawak, which has never been done before," said Dzulkefly during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. He was responding to Datuk Dr Richard Rapu (GPS-Betong), who asked about measures taken by the government to reduce the imbalance in the distribution of healthcare human resources between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, particularly concerning the placement of specialists, doctors, and nurses. Dzulkefly said the ministry had also set placement quotas for permanent medical officers - 650 in Sarawak and 310 in Sabah - representing 42.7 per cent of the 2,248 officers recently appointed nationwide. In addition, he said a total of 1,002 contract medical officers had been placed in Sabah and 937 in Sarawak as of March 31, to meet the growing workforce demands at public health facilities in both states. As part of long-term efforts, he added that MOH supports state governments' initiatives to offer scholarships for medical and health studies, and to provide additional merit points for those serving in Sabah and Sarawak, particularly in remote and interior areas. "This merit serves as a weightage, an added score in evaluating candidates for scholarship selection," he said. Replying to a supplementary question from Richard on strategies to retain medical officers in the public sector, Dzulkefly said one key measure was the absorption of contract officers into permanent positions. "Over the past three years, we have successfully absorbed more than 13,552 contract medical officers into permanent roles," he said. He said the effort aligns with recent amendments to the Medical Act, which now recognise the Parallel Pathway and local Master's programmes, an initiative aimed at encouraging doctors to remain in public service.– Bernama
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
Sabah, Sarawak now mandatory for medical officer placements
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has introduced a mandatory requirement for contract medical officers transitioning to permanent roles to select at least one placement option in Sabah or Sarawak via the e-Placement 2.0 system. This move aims to bridge the healthcare workforce disparity between Peninsular Malaysia and the Borneo states. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad stated that this unprecedented measure underscores the government's dedication to equitable specialist, doctor, and nurse distribution nationwide. 'It is mandatory that one of the three choices must be a placement in Sabah or Sarawak, which has never been done before,' he said during the Dewan Rakyat session. The policy responds to concerns raised by Datuk Dr Richard Rapu (GPS-Betong) regarding uneven healthcare staffing. Dzulkefly revealed that placement quotas for permanent medical officers have been set at 650 for Sarawak and 310 for Sabah, accounting for 42.7 per cent of the 2,248 officers recently appointed. As of March 31, 1,002 contract medical officers were stationed in Sabah and 937 in Sarawak to bolster public health facilities. Long-term strategies include state-sponsored medical scholarships and merit incentives for service in remote areas. 'This merit serves as a weightage - an added score in evaluating candidates for scholarship selection,' Dzulkefly explained. Addressing retention strategies, he highlighted the absorption of 13,552 contract officers into permanent roles over three years, supported by Medical Act amendments recognising Parallel Pathway and local Master's programmes. - Bernama
Daily Express
15 hours ago
- Daily Express
MOH makes Sabah, Sarawak placement mandatory for medical officers: Dzulkefly
Published on: Thursday, July 31, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jul 31, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has made it mandatory for contract medical officers appointed to permanent positions to select at least one placement option in Sabah or Sarawak through the e-Placement 2.0 system, to address the uneven distribution of healthcare personnel between Peninsular Malaysia and the Borneo states. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said this approach, which has never been implemented before, reflects the government's strong commitment to narrowing the gap in the placement of specialists, doctors, and nurses across the country. 'It is mandatory that one of the three choices must be a placement in Sabah or Sarawak, which has never been done before,' said Dzulkefly during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. He was responding to Datuk Dr Richard Rapu (GPS-Betong), who asked about measures taken by the government to reduce the imbalance in the distribution of healthcare human resources between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, particularly concerning the placement of specialists, doctors, and nurses. Dzulkefly added that the ministry had also set placement quotas for permanent medical officers - 650 in Sarawak and 310 in Sabah - representing 42.7 per cent of the 2,248 officers recently appointed nationwide. In addition, he said a total of 1,002 contract medical officers had been placed in Sabah and 937 in Sarawak as of March 31, to meet the growing workforce demands at public health facilities in both states. As part of long-term efforts, he added that MOH supports state governments' initiatives to offer scholarships for medical and health studies, and to provide additional merit points for those serving in Sabah and Sarawak, particularly in remote and interior areas. 'This merit serves as a weightage - an added score in evaluating candidates for scholarship selection,' he explained. Replying to a supplementary question from Richard on strategies to retain medical officers in the public sector, Dzulkefly said one key measure was the absorption of contract officers into permanent positions. 'Over the past three years, we have successfully absorbed more than 13,552 contract medical officers into permanent roles,' he said. He added that the effort aligns with recent amendments to the Medical Act, which now recognise the Parallel Pathway and local Master's programmes, an initiative aimed at encouraging doctors to remain in public service. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
