Beijing, China - Sinovac Biotech Ltd. ("SINOVAC" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SVA), a leading provider of biopharmaceutical products in China, today announced its inactivated hepatitis A vaccine, Healive®, has been approved by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), for use in children 1 through 16 years of age.
The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is one of the most common causes of viral infections globally. Multiple HAV outbreaks over the past three decades have led to Lebanon's current status as an endemic zone1.
In 2022, Lebanon saw a reemergence, with 2,218 cases of HAV that made it the second most communicable disease locally, following cholera, according to epidemiological data released by MOPH. SINOVAC has supplied the Lebanese government with 6,000 doses of Healive®, distributed from July to October, when vaccination was considered as one of the major efforts to fight against widespread infection.
Healive®, a SINOVAC flagship product, is the first and only hepatitis A vaccine from China to pass the assessment under the World Health Organization Prequalification Procedures. It offers sustained protection for at least 30 years after full-course immunization, based on statistical modeling2.
Hepatitis A vaccine is not included in Lebanon's national vaccination schedule yet, according to the WHO Immunization Data Portal. Meanwhile, HAV infection predominately impacts young adults, who are at an increased risk of contracting the virus in the country. With this latest approval, SINOVAC will help the Lebanese government and its national healthcare system meet a growing need from local communities.
Healive® and SINOVAC's varicella vaccine, another WHO prequalified vaccine, can be administered simultaneously to children around 1 year old, to enhance vaccination efficiency, be time-saving and cost-saving for parents and doctors, and offer pain reduction to children as well as establish immune protection earlier, a recent study suggested3.
Healive® has been registered in 22 countries and organizations around the world, including Lebanon, and is currently authorized for administration in more than 30 countries and areas.
Reference:
1. Uwishema O, Abbass M, Rai A, Arab S, El Saleh R, Uweis L, Wellington J, Musabirema F, Adanur I, Onyeaka H. Hepatitis A virus outbreak in Lebanon: Is it a matter of concern? Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022 Sep 13;82:104585. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2022.104585. PMID: 36148083; PMCID: PMC9486044
2. Yu, YP, Chen, JT, Jiang, ZW, et al. Modeling the Long-term Antibody Response and Duration of Immune Protection Induced by an Inactivated, Preservative-free Hepatitis A Vaccine (Healive) in Children. BIOMED ENVIRON SCI. 2020; 33 (7): 484-492. doi: 10.3967/bes2020.065
3. Dapeng Sun, Dan Yu, Zhenhua Du, Ningning Jia, Xiaodong Liu, Jianwen Sun, Qing Xu, Zhuoqun Sun, Chunfang Luan, Jingjing Lv, Ping Xiong, Li Zhang, Xueyan Sha, Yongjun Gao, and Dianmin Kang. Immunogenicity and safety of a live attenuated varicella vaccine co-administered with inactive hepatitis A vaccine: A phase 4, single-center, randomized, controlled trial. HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS 2022; doi: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2161789
About SINOVAC
Sinovac Biotech Ltd., (SINOVAC) is a China-based biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the R&D, manufacturing, and commercialization of vaccines that protect against human infectious diseases.
SINOVAC's product portfolio includes vaccines against COVID-19, enterovirus 71 (EV71) infected Hand-Foot-Mouth disease (HFMD), hepatitis A, varicella, influenza, poliomyelitis, pneumococcal disease, and mumps.
The COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac®, has been approved for use in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide. The hepatitis A vaccine, Healive®, passed WHO prequalification requirements in 2017. The EV71 vaccine, Inlive®, is an innovative vaccine under "Category 1 Preventative Biological Products" and was commercialized in China in 2016. In 2022, SINOVAC's Sabin-strain inactivated polio vaccine (sIPV) and varicella vaccine were prequalified by the WHO.
SINOVAC was the first company to be granted approval for its H1N1 influenza vaccine Panflu.1®, which has supplied the Chinese government's vaccination campaign and stockpiling program. The Company is also the only supplier of the H5N1 pandemic influenza vaccine, Panflu®, to the Chinese government stockpiling program.
SINOVAC continually dedicates itself to new vaccine R&D, with more combination vaccine products in its pipeline, and constantly explores global market opportunities. SINOVAC plans to conduct more extensive and in-depth trade and cooperation with additional countries, and business and industry organizations.
For more information, please see the Company's website at www.sinovac.com.
Contact:
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SINOVAC BIOTECH LTD. 
