Sinovac Bio a

Financial analysts at USA-based Dutton Associates have initiated coverage of Sinovac Biotech with a strong speculative buy rating and a price target of $5.80. The report by Dutton's senior analyst, Stanley Ng, is available at: www.jmdutton.com, as well as leading financial portals.

Sinovac is a China-based biotechnology company that focuses on the research, development, manufacturing, and distribution of vaccines that protect against human infectious disease. Its currently-approved products include Healive (hepatitis A), Bilive (inactivated vaccine against hepatitis A and B) and Anflu (a vaccine against influenza virus). All are in the private market.

The firm is currently developing vaccines against the H5N1 strain of pandemic virus, Japanese encephalitis and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Mr Ng says it offers investors a good opportunity to invest in the huge and growing vaccine market, the prospects of which are driven by a large population of 1.3 billion with low vaccination coverage, increasing health consciousness, and the Chinese central government's commitment to sharply increase spending on the national immunization program.