A staff member displays a sample of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at a vaccine production plant of China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) in Beijing, capital of China, April 10, 2020. Photo:Xinhua

 Cansino Biologics, the Chinese company whose COVID-19 vaccine candidate has already entered phase one trials, saw its stock price open high on Wednesday following the announcement the day prior that it is preparing to start future vaccine trials in Canada. 

The Hong Kong listed company's share price jumped 4.7 percent on Wednesday morning to HK$176 ($22.71) per share. On Tuesday, Canada's National Research Council (NRC) said the vaccine company is already collaborating with the council to prepare for future trials in Canada. 

Cansino's stock price has soared more than 122 percent since March. It has risen almost 200 percent since the start of this year. 

In March, its vaccine candidate Ad5-nCoV, co-developed by the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, was approved to enter trials. The vaccine was the first to enter phase one clinical trials and will soon enter phase two clinical trials, according to a company statement. 

Eight COVID-19 candidates have so far been approved to enter clinical trials, three of which are being developed and researched in China. 

According to the NRC statement on Tuesday, the vaccine that is expected to run its trials in Canada is also Ad5-nCoV, the candidate already approved in China, and clinical trials in Canada will expand on existing data from China, according to a report from Reuters. 

The trials in Canada will also ensure Canadians have access to the vaccines if they prove effective, Reuters said.