Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque on Thursday said the government has approved final or phase-3 human trial of a prospective COVID-19 vaccine by China’s private Sinovac Biotech Ltd, which appeared to be a forerunner in a global race for developing inoculates against coronavirus.

“We have given an approval of human trial for COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac in Bangladesh after examining all necessary research protocols,” he told a press briefing at his ministry, reports BSS.

On July 19, 2020, Bangladesh’s regulatory Medical Research Council (BMRC) extended “ethical approval” for final or phase-3 human trial of a COVID-19 vaccine by Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

The BMRC sources said the BMRC decided to approve the last stage trial of the Chinese vaccine as Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR’B) submitted a research protocol seeking to carry out the study.