The domestically listed two-year batch of issuance has increased significantly year by year, and it is still “difficult to find a single shot.” Beijing Youth Daily survey-Is it
difficult to find private hospitals for the 9-price HPV vaccine at a cheap price?
The nine-valent cervical cancer (HPV) vaccine has been in a state of "a single shot hard to find" since its launch in China in April 2018.
Two years have passed, what is the status quo?
A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily found that many public medical institutions, such as immunization clinics of community health centers, are still out of stock.
But the biggest difference from the past is that advance reservations are no longer accepted.
It is difficult for ordinary citizens to find outpatient clinics of public medical institutions that can receive the 9-valent HPV vaccine.
However, high-priced 9-valent HPV vaccines can be quickly found in private medical institutions or e-commerce platforms, and intermediaries on the e-commerce platform claim that the supply is sufficient.
survey
Most public hospital vaccination clinics are out of stock
In April 2018, the nine-valent HPV vaccine was approved for marketing in the Mainland, and the first injection was given in Hainan on May 30, at a price of 1,318 yuan per tube.
On September 14th, a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily called 7 immunization clinics in Beijing, including public medical institutions and private medical institutions.
Among them, the customer service staff of only one private medical institution immediately stated that “it is in stock and can be vaccinated immediately”.
In terms of price, there are a total of three needles, "If you pay the fee alone, 2230 one needle; if you pay all three, you can enjoy a preferential package price of 5850 yuan."
According to reports, the price of a three-shot 9-valent HPV vaccine in a public hospital is 3369 yuan, which is 2480 yuan cheaper than a private hospital.
But the actual situation is that it is difficult to find a cheap nine-price HPV vaccine in public hospitals.
When a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily consulted the immunization clinics of six other public medical institutions, the staff all said that "out of stock, no vaccination, no appointment."
This situation is very different from a year ago.
In March 2019, although most of the vaccination clinics of some community health service centers in Beijing were also "out of stock", they could still accept appointments for vaccination by citizens, that is, there were more people waiting in line. "There are more than 1,000 people in the front line this month. I don't know when the goods will arrive and how many shots can be received, so I can't tell the specific vaccination time." At that time, a staff member of a community hospital answered the questioner.
In this regard, the staff of the National Public Health Service Hotline stated that the nine-valent HPV vaccine is a voluntary and self-funded second-class vaccine.
She suggested that vaccinators refer to the official website of the CDC to contact private hospitals for vaccination, "the probability of success is higher."
On the e-commerce platform, the intermediary claims that the supply is sufficient
A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily found that in addition to private hospitals, nine-valent HPV vaccines can also be easily found on e-commerce platforms.
On a well-known e-commerce platform, as long as you enter the keyword "Nine-price HPV Beijing" in the search area, a string of nine-price HPV vaccine products will pop up immediately, with sales prices ranging from 4800 yuan to 5500 yuan.
The promotion pages of each store are called "spot" and "interest-free in installments", and they are all third-party intermediary platforms.
The vaccination process is: After the consumer places an order to purchase, the platform will help the consumer to make an appointment for a designated vaccination hospital for injection.
A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily noted that HPV vaccination addresses sold on the e-commerce platform are all private hospitals.
In this regard, the staff of the National Public Health Service Hotline reminded that when purchasing vaccinations in online stores, one should pay attention to the specific location of the vaccine.
"You must carefully refer to the list of the CDC's official website," she said. "If this hospital is not on the CDC's official website, it is best not to go for vaccination."
market
The vaccine import cycle takes at least one year
According to an industry insider engaged in vaccine production, the production cycle of vaccines is very long, requiring production, quality control, country of origin testing and release, and testing and release by the China Testing Institute. It takes at least one year to complete the four procedures.
The industry insider also said that from the best age group of the nine-valent HPV vaccine, it should be the best vaccination when entering puberty.
However, due to frequent reports of vaccine shortages, more women's desire for vaccination has been aroused, thereby pushing up market demand and increasing the supply gap.
Zhifei Biological released its half-year financial report for 2020, which shows that the number of HPV vaccines issued by Merck's 9-valent HPV vaccine in the first half of 2020 will be 2,159778, a year-on-year increase of 83.13% over 2019, but it still cannot meet market demand.
In addition, the vaccine has not been localized, which is one of the reasons for the tight market.
As of July 31, 2020, there is no domestic manufacturer of a nine-valent cervical cancer vaccine approved for listing.
Internationally, currently only Merck has a nine-valent cervical cancer vaccine approved for production and sales.
In China, its nine-valent vaccine is sold as an agent through Chongqing Zhifei Biological Products Co., Ltd.
According to the batch issuance data of the China Institute for Food and Drug Control, the number of nine-valent cervical cancer vaccines issued in 2019 was 3,324,200, an increase of 173.35% over 2018, and the number of batches issued in the first half of 2020 was 2,159,800, compared with the same period last year. An increase of 83.13%.
Domestic Nine Price Enters Phase III Clinical Trial
The domestic vaccine manufacturer-Wantai Biologics issued an announcement on August 28, stating that the company plans to hold a Phase III clinical kick-off meeting with clinical trial institutions and field units on September 4, 2020, and start Phase III on September 5 The clinical trial study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine in healthy female volunteers between 18 and 45 years old.
Public data shows that many domestic companies are currently intensively carrying out clinical work on the nine-valent HPV vaccine.
In addition, Wantai Bio has entered Phase III clinical trials.
In addition, the nine-valent HPV vaccines of Watson Bio, Kangle Guard, and Ruike Bio have also entered the clinical stage.
remind
Two prices and four prices can also prevent cervical cancer
HPV is the abbreviation of "Human Papilloma Virus". 99% of cervical cancers are caused by HPV infection with high-risk HPV, which are mainly transmitted through sexual contact.
As the only vaccine that can prevent cancer, HPV vaccine has received widespread attention.
There are three types of HPV vaccines on the global market, namely bivalent, quadrivalent and quaternary. Bivalent and tetravalent vaccines can prevent and control 84.5% of cervical cancer risks, and nine-valent vaccines can prevent 92.1% of cervical cancer risks.
The World Health Organization clearly pointed out in 2017: Existing evidence shows that from a public health perspective, bivalent, quadrivalent and ninth-valent vaccines have no difference in immunogenicity, efficacy and effectiveness in preventing HPV-related types 16 and 18 All three vaccines can prevent most related cancers.
Disease prevention experts believe that although the bivalent HPV vaccine only targets the infection of type 16 and type 18 viruses, current research shows that 70% of cervical cancers are related to these two viruses.
Therefore, there is no need for everyone to stare at the nine-valent HPV vaccine, and in terms of cost performance, the bivalent HPV vaccine is much higher than the nine-valent HPV vaccine.
Text/Reporter Zhao Xinpei Coordinator/Yu Meiying