(Aug 15): The application for clinical trials of a domestic Omicron-specific mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has been submitted for approval, marking a leading step in efforts to fight the Omicron variant, Chinese leading vaccine producer Sinopharm said on Monday, Global Times said.

At a media briefing on Sinopharm ranking top among global pharmaceutical enterprises and 80th on the Fortune Global 500, envoys from countries including Argentina, Egypt, Pakistan, Peru and Serbia expressed their appreciation for Sinopharm's support, which was of great help in giving countries access to vaccines, Global Times said.

Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for registration or emergency use in 119 countries and regions as well as international organizations, covering 196 states, with a total of 3.5 billion doses distributed globally. More than 50 heads of state and government have chosen Sinopharm's doses, making it the most widely available and one of the safest vaccines in the world, the Global Times learned from the producer.