CanSino's COVID-19 vaccine is on the cusp of a formal approval in China, as is another candidate from state-owned Sinopharm. Meanwhile, China is shipping millions of doses around the world.

Plus Takeda starts vaccine trial in Japan and South Korea clears Celltrion's antibody therapeutic. 

Chinese officials do not expect the new strain of coronavirus emerging in the UK to impact the efficacy of inactivated virus vaccines on the cusp of conditional approval. Meanwhile, a new plant is under construction in China for domestically developed mRNA vaccines.

The FDA granted emergency authorization for Moderna's mRNA-1273 following a 17 December advisory committee vote in its favor. There have also been more supply deals and approvals in Asia.