A staff member displays samples of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at Sinovac Biotech Ltd., in Beijing, capital of China, March 16, 2020. (Photo:Xinhua)

China's inactivated COVID-19 vaccine has shown potent protection against SARS-CoV-2, which causes the disease, in animal experiments, according to a study published in the journal Cell.

Inactivated vaccines use the killed version of the germ that causes a disease.

Research on the vaccine candidate BBIBP-CorV was jointly conducted by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products under the China National Biotec Group, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences as well as other institutions.

Researchers reported the pilot-scale production of the vaccine candidate that induces high levels of neutralizing antibody concentrations in mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and nonhuman primates including cynomolgus monkeys and rhesus macaques to provide protection against SARS-CoV-2.

A neutralizing antibody can defend a cell from a pathogen or infectious particle by obliterating any biological effect.

Two-dose immunizations using two micrograms of each dose provided strong protection against SARS-CoV-2 intratracheal challenge in rhesus macaques. No antibody-dependent enhancement of infection was detected in the experiment.

In addition, the vaccine exhibits high productivity and good genetic stability for manufacturing, which supports its further evaluation in a clinical trial, according to the research.