China Biopharma (CBPC) has stepped up efforts to tackle Staph infections in Chinese population. The company has reached a tentative agreement with US-based Delmont Laboratory to introduce its immunotherapeutic vaccine Staphage Lysate that treats diseases caused by Staphylococcus.
 
As per the agreement, Delmont Laboratory will supply bulk materials and China Biopharma will contract local manufactures for the final packaging in China. CBPC will also conduct a study before signing a definitive agreement. Although the vaccine has gained FDA approval, CBPC will seek an approval from the SFDA for sales in China. The approval process may take about two years and once approved it would bring up to $20-30 million sales revenue every year.
 
Association for Professional in Infection Control and Epidemiology has estimated that as many as 1.2 million US hospital patients may be infected each year with a Staph infection which is resistant to antibiotics. Each year up to 119,000 of these patients may die from the tough-to-treat strain of bacterium, called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Since no effective drugs are currently available in China to treat this infection, a vaccine would be in great need.