Singapore: Sinovac Biotech, a China-based vaccine manufacturer, has been selected by the Beijing Health Bureau and the Shanghai Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Shanghai CDC) to supply its inactivated hepatitis A vaccine, Healive, to the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) for each city. The tenders awarded to Sinovac in Beijing and Shanghai are valued at approximately $3.1 million (RMB20 million) and $2 million (RMB13 million), respectively.

The vaccine purchased by the Beijing Health Bureau will be administered over a two-year period to the pediatric population across the city. The vaccine purchased by the Shanghai CDC is for the 2012 pediatric population inoculation program.

Mr Weidong Yin, chairman, president and CEO of Sinovac, said, "We are pleased to have been selected as the sole supplier of the inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in prefilled syringe in both Beijing and Shanghai. Given its superior safety profile and proven efficacy, Healive will be provided to newborns under the Beijing and Shanghai immunization programs using our easy-to-use pre-filled syringes. We will continue to collaborate with government agencies to provide top-quality vaccines to prevent diseases in China and beyond."

Healive is the first inactivated hepatitis A vaccine developed, produced and marketed by a China-based manufacturer. Healive was launched by Sinovac in 2002 in China and is currently available in adult and pediatric dosage forms. In February 2008, the Chinese government included hepatitis A vaccine in its national immunization program.