Breaking News! BIBP’s Polio Vaccine passed WHO Prequalification again

On July 18, the 5-dose Poliomyelitis Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated, Sabin Strains (sIPV), independently developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd. (BIBP), part of the China National Biotec Group Company Limited (CNBG), officially passed prequalification (PQ) from the World Health Organization (WHO). This marks another milestone in the internationalization of the BIBP’s polio vaccines, following the WHO PQ of the 1-dose sIPV in 2022. The approval of this vaccine will effectively reduce transportation and vaccination costs, providing a more economical and accessible immunization solution for developing countries and contributing China’s strength to the global polio eradication effort.

Poliomyelitis (referred to as "polio") is an acute infectious disease caused by poliovirus of Enterovirus of Small RNA Viridae, which is highly contagious and can occur at any age, but mainly affects children under 5 years old. One in every 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (most often of the leg). There is no specific medicine for polio, and vaccination is the most effective means of prevention.

The series of polio vaccines independently developed by BIBP is constantly being advanced. Among them, the Poliomyelitis (Live) Vaccine Type Ι Type III (Human Diploid Cell), Oral (bOPV) was first granted marketing approval in China in November 2015, and subsequently entered the international market on a large scale after passing WHO PQ in December 2017. Up to now, approximately 300 million doses have been supplied to the international market. In September 2017, 1-dose sIPV with independent intellectual property rights was approved for domestic use and passed the WHO PQ in February 2022. In September 2024, 5-dose sIPV was approved for listing in China, and passed the WHO PQ in July 2025.

Moving forward, BIBP will continue to uphold its spirit of innovation, providing higher-quality products and services to empower the global polio immunization strategy and contribute further to global public health.