Germany’s BioNTech and China’s Fosun Pharmaceuticals have reached a supply agreement to supply at least 100 million doses of the new crown vaccine developed by BioNTech to China next year if the vaccine is launched in China. The agreement stipulates that the first doses of the vaccine will be supplied directly from the German plant, with the possibility of allowing future production in mainland China. Medical experts question why China, which claims to have developed a mature vaccine, needs to import it. And are the 100 million vaccines being prioritized for use by Chinese Communist interests? They are also concerned that if the vaccine is produced in China in the future, the vaccine development technology may be stolen.
Germany’s BioNTech and China’s Fosun Pharmaceutical announced separately on their official websites on Wednesday (16) an agreement to supply no less than 100 million doses of BioNTech’s mRNA New Crown vaccine to mainland China next year, once the vaccine is approved for marketing in China. The first batch of vaccine will be supplied by BioNTech’s production facility in Germany.
The two companies launched a Phase II clinical trial in mainland China last month in Taizhou and Lianshui, Jiangsu Province, China, enrolling 960 healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 85 to support the vaccine’s future marketing application in China.
The revised agreement signed by the two parties on Wednesday further provides for the supply and sale of New Crown vaccine to China in phases based on market demand, including the importation of filled vials and finished vaccines, the distribution of New Crown vaccine in large packaged doses in mainland China, and the production of New Crown vaccine products in mainland China, subject to the approval of relevant regulatory agencies.
Some mainland Chinese netizens expressed their anticipation for the upcoming German vaccine, while others worried that they would not be among the first priority users in China, which has a large population base.
Chen Yunfei, a human rights activist trapped in Chengdu due to the epidemic blockade, told the station that although he had heard that German vaccines would be coming to China soon, he had no hope that he would be able to receive them, believing that they would be controlled by the Chinese government and given priority to specific groups of people.
Chen Yunfei said: How can we, the people, enjoy the imported vaccines? The good things are the leaders first, only when the cannon fodder let us the people go, this is the usual, this system our rules of the game has not changed.
German commentator Cheng Shiguang also raised a series of questions, including why China, which claims to have successfully developed the new vaccine, imported it from Germany, and whether the 100 million vaccines were given priority to CCP interests and more than 90 million CCP members.
Cheng Shiguang said: The CCP has propagated that it has developed at least three mature and available vaccines, why does it still need to order with foreign countries? Is there something wrong with the vaccines it has developed itself? The fact that the CCP purchased this 100 million vaccines from Germany makes us suspect the CCP’s dishonesty even more. The fact that the CCP has more than 90 million members and ordered exactly 100 million doses gives us the impression that these 100 million doses of vaccines are for the use of the ruling class of the CCP.
Cheng Shiguang also criticized that the news of the new vaccine has obscured the search for the source of the virus.
We are proud of the development of the vaccine, but if no one had created, spread, or concealed the virus, we would not have needed to create the vaccine at all, and we must not forget the most serious matter, which is the prosecution of the spread and concealment of the virus.
Cheng Shiguang pointed out that although the agreement between the two companies is a market act, the contract with the company in a totalitarian country should be accompanied by conditions that promote equality and human rights, for example, giving the vaccine priority to health care and high-risk people. He also reminded BioNTech that building a production site in China in the future. The company also faces the risk of technology theft.
Darney Liu, the head of external communications at Fosun Pharmaceuticals’ Shanghai headquarters, told us when the vaccine will be produced in China. Darney Liu refused to say when the vaccine will be produced in China, the first batch of priority groups, etc., on the grounds that the vaccine has not yet been approved for marketing.
Darney Liu said: “The first step is to produce the vaccine in Germany, and then fly it over.
We contacted BioNTech’s media department by phone, and the other party indicated that there were many media interviews, so we hoped to ask specific questions by email. We have not received a reply by the time of going to press on whether the company is concerned about the potential moral and technical risks of cooperation with Chinese companies, which is of particular concern to us.
In the press release, BioNTech CEO and co-founder Ugur Sahin thanked the Chinese government and the State Drug Administration of China for their “support and trust” in its vaccine development.
Fosun’s Chairman Wu Yifang also said the collaboration had the support of China’s State Council. Fosun’s shares rose about 2 percent on the back of the partnership.
Under the agreement, an upfront payment of 250 million euros will be made for the first 50 million doses of the new crown vaccine, of which 125 million euros will be paid by Dec. 30, 2020, with the balance to be paid after the product is approved for marketing in mainland China.
Reuters disclosed that for finished products supplied by BioNTech and its affiliates, Fosun Pharma and BioNTech are entitled to a sales commission at the rate of 65% and 35% of the annual gross sales profit, respectively, while the sales commission rate for large packaged doses is 60% and 40%.
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