Women wait in line to receive HPV vaccines at a hospital in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province in December 2017. Photo: VCG

SinoCellTech, a Beijing-based biotech company, has rolled out the world's first 14-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine which has entered clinical trials, media reported on Thursday.

The 14-valent HPV vaccine developed by SinoCellTech covers all 12 high-risk cancerogenic HPV types and two major types of HPV causing condyloma acuminatum, the Beijing Daily reported on Thursday, emphasizing that the 14-valent vaccine has increased the protection of five virus subtypes compared with the imported 9-valent HPV vaccine and will be used to prevent diseases caused by HPV infection such as cervical cancer. 

"According to the current trial data, the 14-valent HPV vaccine has the ability to increase the protection rate of cervical cancer prevention from 90 percent from the 9-valent HPV vaccine to 96 percent," per media reports, citing Tang Liming, Sino's vice president. 

China's first domestically produced vaccine against the HPV has been available by appointment since May, 2020, making China the third country in the world to achieve an independent HPV vaccine supply after the US and the UK.

Global Times