In a clear shift away from its long-held stringent zero-COVID policy, China has recently relaxed rules that contained the spread of the virus but impacted the world’s second largest economy. Subsequently, the National Health Commission (NHC) pledged to step up vaccination among the elderly. Against this backdrop, considering that CanSino Biologics’ inhaled vaccine Convidecia Air is regarded as a highly convenient option for the elderly population, it is expected to gain good momentum, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Full and booster vaccination rates in China among the elderly remain poor compared with many other countries. Hence, improving coverage will be a key priority as injection fear tends to be higher in the elderly population. As a result, an intranasal vaccine option could further help in improving vaccination rates in this age group.

Prashant Khadayate, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “China has always tried to be ahead in the COVID-19 vaccine race through the development of homegrown COVID-19 vaccines. The availability of CanSino Biologics’ inhaled vaccine as a COVID-19 booster vaccine has further added a feather to its cap.  Convidecia Air is already part of a booster vaccination program in multiple cities in China. No other inhaled vaccines are expected to be available soon in China.”

According to GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center, CanSino Biologics generated a revenue of $667m in 2021 through its COVID-19 vaccine, Convidecia. Convidecia Air is the inhaled COVID-19 vaccine form and was approved in September 2022.

CanSino Biologics has emerged as a prominent player in the vaccine space in China through its COVID-19 vaccines and its overall vaccine pipeline. It is one of the few companies globally that has been successful in bringing an inhaled COVID-19 vaccine to market. In November 2022, Convidecia Air also gained approval in Morocco, making it the first overseas country to provide approval.

Khadayate concludes: “Increasing COVID-19 cases, non-availability of other inhaled booster vaccines, and government focus on elderly vaccination are bound to boost Convidecia Air sales in China, and GlobalData expects substantial growth next year. Furthermore, CanSino Biologics can expand the commercial potential of the intranasal COVID-19 vaccine by targeting international markets.”