The National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) has achieved a breakthrough in its development of an enterovirus 71 (EV-71) vaccine that can efficiently generate antibodies in humans, a member of the research team said on Tuesday.
In the first phase of the clinical trials that will be completed by the end of this year, the vaccine produced more than 600 times the normal level of antibodies in adults, said Su Ih-jen (蘇益仁), head of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology.
Su said the next phase would be to test the vaccine in various age groups next year to determine how many doses are needed to resist the virus.
Phase III will be carried out at several medical centers in different countries, with the aim of finding out how much protection the vaccine can provide against EV-71 infection, he said.
The EV-71 vaccine will be considered effective if it can generate 80 to 90 percent protection, he said.
Enterovirus 71 is the most virulent strain of enterovirus. It is found in Taiwan, China and several other Asian countries.
Although Taiwan began development of an EV-71 vaccine earlier than China, Chinese researchers completed the Phase I trials before Taiwan, Su said.
The Taiwanese team has applied for seven international certificates and is optimistic about being able to offer the vaccine domestically and internationally, he said.
The NHRI has signed nonexclusive patent license agreements with Adimmune Corp and Medigen Biotechnology Corp and will transfer the technology to the two firms as the first step to entering the international market.
The institute is in partnership discussions with another biotech firm, United Biomedical.
Separately, the institute said it had also made substantial progress in the development of a vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis and would start looking for international partners by the end of this year to promote joint research and development.
As of last month, the Centers for Disease Control had confirmed three cases of severe enterovirus so far this year, all of which were EV-71 infections. One of the cases was fatal.
The nation’s first outbreak of EV-71 in 1998 killed 78 children.
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a southwestern extension of the Sanying MRT Line from New Taipei to Bade District (八德) in Taoyuan, with a goal of starting construction by late 2026. The 4.03-kilometer extension, featuring three new stations, will run from the current terminus at Yingtao Fude Station (LB12) in New Taipei City to Dannan Station (LB14), where it will connect with Taoyuan’s Green Line, New Taipei City Metro Corp said in a statement. This extension will follow the completion of core Sanying Line, a 14.29-kilometer medium-capacity system linking Tucheng (土城), Sansia (三峽)