A health worker shows a dose of the Chinese Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Jordan’s capital, Amman, on January 13, 2021.
Khalil Mazraawi | AFP | Getty Images
BEIJING – Sinopharm, the state-owned giant in developing coronavirus vaccines in China, announced that its president left the council on Tuesday.
The company cited personal reasons for Li Zhiming’s resignation, according to a request from the Hong Kong-listed company. Li Hui, director and member of the audit committee of Sinopharm’s subsidiary, China National Medicines Corp., also resigned on Tuesday for personal reasons, a separate document revealed.
In late December, Chinese authorities approved a vaccine developed by a Beijing-based Sinopharm subsidiary for general release. The company said the vaccine was 79.34% effective after a phase three test, according to state media.
In early December, the United Arab Emirates said the vaccine was 86% effective.
There was no direct indication that the layoffs were the result of vaccine-related work. The company did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comments via email.
Different countries have released mixed results on the effectiveness of a coronavirus vaccine from another Chinese company, Sinovac.
A WHO team is working with Covid-19 vaccine producers from Chinese pharmaceutical companies Sinovac and Sinopharm “to assess compliance with international quality manufacturing practices ahead of WHO’s list of potential emergency use,” said the director-general. WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, earlier this week.