Recently, “The Story of China’s World-First Hepatitis E Vaccine,” a science communication video recommended by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was awarded the 2026 Communication Prize by the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS). The video tells the story of the world’s first and, to date, only licensed hepatitis E vaccine, jointly developed by Professor XIA Ningshao’s team at Xiamen University and Wantai BioPharm, and highlights its journey from scientific discovery and technological breakthroughs to industrialization, translation and public health application.
The successful development of the hepatitis E vaccine reflects the strength of China’s original vaccine innovation and the value of collaboration between academia and industry. As the industrialization and manufacturing partner for the vaccine, Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd. (“IX”) has played an important role in translating this scientific achievement from the laboratory into scalable production and real-world application. In 2012, Hecolin was approved in China, becoming the world’s first licensed hepatitis E vaccine and marking an important step in translating this original scientific achievement into public health application.
Since then, the hepatitis E vaccine has continued to advance internationally and contribute to public health practice. It has been approved in Pakistan and India, and was used in a large-scale vaccination campaign during a hepatitis E outbreak in South Sudan, helping protect high-risk populations, including women of childbearing age.
This international recognition underscores the broader value of vaccine innovation when original research, industrialization, translation and public health needs are closely connected. IX will continue to advance innovation-driven development and support access to high-quality, affordable and reliable vaccines, contributing to global public health.
Learn more:
https://www.acatech.de/allgemein/caets-jahreskonferenz-2026/
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