Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 7 November this year, simultaneously in Uzbekistan and China, in the format of a video conference, international clinical trials of a new recombinant protein vaccine against the Omicron-Delta strain (the second generation of a new vaccine against coronavirus) were launched.

Minister of Innovative Development Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov, Deputy Minister Shakhlo Turdikulova, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to China Farkhod Arziev, Deputy Director of the Service for Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health Botir Kurbanov, Director of the Research Institute of Virology Erkin Musabaev, Head of the Medical Association of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Shukhrat Nishanov, Academician Gao Fu, Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Cao Jinghua, Executive Director of the Secretariat of the International Alliance of Scientific Organizations ANSO and Executive President of Anhui Jifeilongcom Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Tao Lifeng and other officials participated in the event.

“We are pleased that the second-generation vaccine against coronavirus has been created in cooperation, research and clinical trials are being carried out,” said Minister of Innovative Development Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov. - We believe that cooperation between Uzbekistan and China on second-generation vaccines will be successfully completed and will open up new opportunities for Uzbekistan and other countries. We received permission from the Ethics Committee to start trials of the second generation vaccine in Uzbekistan, and today we are launching research and clinical trials with you. I would like to emphasize once again that we express our gratitude to our Government, the head of state, as well as international organizations, companies, embassies and scientists for creating the opportunity to conduct such advanced technological research in Uzbekistan. We believe that the emergence of next-generation vaccines in the future is not only the result of scientific collaboration, but also lays the foundation for all future collaboration.”

Academician Gao Fu emphasized that through the bilateral efforts of China and Uzbekistan, the first generation of the new coronavirus vaccine ZF2001 or ZF-UZ-VAC-2001 has been successfully developed, and more than 300 million doses have been used worldwide, which has made a great contribution to the fight against global epidemic. The second generation of the new coronavirus vaccine is the Omicron-Delta bivalent protein subunit vaccine. Compared to the first-generation vaccine based on a prototype virus, the new vaccine elicits a broader and stronger immune response, covers the currently widespread sub-variants of Omicron, and makes an important contribution to the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic during the rise of Omicron.

"ANSO will make every effort to support overseas clinical trials of the second-generation vaccine," said Cao Jinghua, director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. - This cooperation will serve to further strengthen the national image, will serve to develop friendly ties between China and Uzbekistan and cooperation in the field of medicine. At the same time, these tests also energized the country’s work within the framework of the One Belt, One Road initiative.

The second-generation protein vaccine antigens are for the "Delta" and "Omicron" mutated strains of the new coronavirus, which are expected to provide better protection than the "Omicron" mutated strains of the new coronavirus that are currently prevalent. As the new mutation of the ‘Omicron’ strain continues around the world, the governments of China and Uzbekistan hope to create an effective and durable protective vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic.