A relatively large outbreak in another major Chinese city after original epicenter Wuhan heightens the urgency for a more effective mRNA vaccine.

From inactivated virus-based to mRNA platforms, the race is on in China to develop vaccines to fight the latest omicron variant, with substantial new funding pouring into one young mRNA company.

Despite a pending domestic approval for BioNTech/Fosun's COVID-19 vaccine, China’s apparent belief in another, domestically developed, mRNA vaccine sees a large group of investors pour hundreds of millions into a little-known private bioventure founded by an ex-Moderna scientist and poised to take on the US biotech.

Originated by a Suzhou-based biotech founded two years ago and now being jointly developed with WalVax, China’s first homegrown mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is now entering the final stages of development.