According to China National Biotec Group Company Limited (CNBG), with the support of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) and Sinopharm China Biologicals have launched a collaborative "ECOVA" project to conduct a Phase III clinical trial of the BBIBP-CorV Covid-19 inactivated vaccine developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products.

It will investigate the efficacy of the inactivated Covid-19 vaccine against mutant strains in different populations in designated areas.

CEPI will provide up to $12.7 million for this project, the first time CEPI has funded a clinical trial of an inactivated vaccine.