TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Medigen Vaccine Biologics said Tuesday it will provide its enterovirus vaccine in Vietnam, following approval from Vietnamese authorities for its first overseas rollout, CNA reported.

The company said the vaccine marks the first overseas enterovirus drug approval granted by the Vietnamese government, which helped push its shares to 1,231 lots traded as of 9:50 a.m. Wednesday.

Since its launch in Taiwan in August 2023, Medigen’s enterovirus vaccine has held more than 95% of the country’s self-paid enterovirus vaccine market. Total sales of the vaccine in Taiwan have surpassed 500,000 doses.

The company said that Phase III clinical trial data show the vaccine offers nearly 100% protection. The trial results have been published in the international medical journal The Lancet.

Five-year follow-up data also indicate that individuals who complete the full vaccination series maintain antibody levels for at least five years, Medigen added.

Vietnam records an average of 1.36 million newborns each year. However, the country’s hot, humid climate and high population density contribute to up to 100,000 enterovirus cases annually, with 180,000 children diagnosed and 31 deaths in 2023, according to the WHO.

Medigen said Vietnam’s pediatric vaccine market has become a key target for global manufacturers amid rising healthcare demand and the threat of infectious diseases. The company added that it will partner with France’s Substipharm Biologics to sell the vaccine in the country.

Enteroviruses are highly contagious in hot and humid conditions, with enterovirus 71 causing the most severe and fatal cases in children. Children under six are at the highest risk, and infections can lead to serious complications like brain inflammation, paralysis, or heart and lung failure.

Medigen plans to seek approval and sell the vaccine in other Southeast Asian countries. The company hopes the move will help expand the reach of Taiwan’s biotechnology worldwide.