Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm has begun phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials of its new recombinant COVID-19 vaccine, Xinhua reported.

The drug was developed by CNBG, a subsidiary of Sinopharm in the field of biomedical research. 

It is the third COVID-19 candidate vaccine developed by CNBG and approved for human trials. The trials were randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled, according to the company.

According to CNBG Deputy General Manager Zhang Yuntao, the recombinant vaccine is a product of genetic engineering.

Unlike inactivated COVID-19 vaccines, the new vaccine does not require a high-level biosafety laboratory to produce and can quickly go into mass production. It is also intended for children from three years old.