China is planning to authorise the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Germany's BioNTech SE by July, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter, according to Reuters.
If approved, it would become the first foreign COVID-19 vaccine to be authorised in the country.
Chinese officials are reviewing clinical-trial data for the vaccine and are expected to authorise it for domestic use within the next 10 weeks, the report said.
BioNTech said in a statement that it does not speculate on timings of approvals.
The National Health Commission of China and Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd, which signed a potential supply deal with the German drugmaker in August for the vaccine, did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The vaccine, developed in collaboration with Pfizer Inc, is already approved in several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel.
