The UAE recently launched a trial run of the China-based Sinopharm vaccine against Covid-19 for children under the age of 18, according to media reports. The trial will monitor the immune response of about 900 children.
The Gulf state-led Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine from Sinopharm is manufactured under a joint venture between the drugmaker and Abu Dhabi-based Group 42, a technology company. It is to note that the members of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi is also participating in the trial run to administer the Sinopharm vaccine for children aged between three to 17.
In May, the UAE approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in children aged 12 to 15. Dubai is the second-largest member of the UAE federation to start vaccinating children of that age group in June. It is known that the UAE has the world’s highest immunisation rate, and the recent data shows, the region registered 2,011 new Covid-19 cases a total of 603,961 cases with 1,738 deaths.
On the medical front, UAE pharma giant Julphar Group recently sold about 51 percent of its controlling stake in Saudi Arabia-based Alpha Pharma, a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant. Alpha Pharma is a joint venture between Julphar and Saudi-based Cigalah Group, a healthcare distributor. This sale of ownership of Julphar Group will eventually reduce the consolidated total assets by 10 to 12 percent, according to the company’s reports to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. The transaction, however, will be completed by the third quarter of 2021.