TrialSite was one of the few American-based online media to chronicle Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine debacle with the Chinese-based biotech known as CanSino Biologics.
Led by Dalhousie University, Canada was to be a major testing trial site for the COVID-19 vaccine called Convidicea Vaccine (Ad5-nCOV), a novel recombinant viral vector vaccine targeting SARS-CoV-2.
CanSino Biologics partnered with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology to develop the single-dose vaccine platform. A deal was finalized by the National Research Council Canada, the Chinese never shipped the investigational product: A complete fiasco and a hard lesson in vaccine diplomacy in the age of COVID-19.
Due to public records laws, the Canadian government recently revealed that the study contract value appeared deeply discounted. With an original contract value of $908,497.21, after an “amendment value” discount the total contract value came out to $253,997.21.
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In the world of clinical trials this amount of money is a pittance. The bigger, more profound backstory is what fascinated the TrialSite team: At a time of such crisis why would Canada depend on a small Chinese biotech for such an integral part of their vaccine strategy?
Early in the pandemic Canada entrusted CanSino Biologics wtih much of its vaccine strategy. The founders of the company spent extensive time in Canada and developed relationships and a network that led to the deal, despite the stronger Canadian ties with its American neighbor, then in the midst of Operation Warp Speed.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau announced the deal May 2020 and, as reported by Globe Circulate, after successful trials the country planned produce the vaccine at a National Research Council of Canada production facility in Montreal.
But Chinese customs mysteriously blocked the shipment of the investigational product. Essentially, this was a power move by China right in the middle of a pandemic and amid the backdrop of rising tensions between China and the United States over the detainment of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese tech company Huawei. Mrs. Wanzhou was detained In late 2018 in Canada at the request of U.S. authorities, who alleged she violated United States trade sanctions against Iran.
Since then, Canada’s vaccine strategy abruptly changed but the fact that the Canadian government entered such a deal during the worst pandemic in a century raises serious questions about the country’s leadership. For a full record of the events that transpired check out TrialSite.