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Duque denies receiving letter from Sinopharm regarding request for clinical trials
The distributor of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine claims the Chinese firm expressed interest in conducting clinical trials in the Philippines as early as May 2020, but the Department of Health (DOH) did not provide feedback.
Representatives from MKG Universal Drugs Trading Corporation presented a letter dated May 2020 showing Sinopharm's intention for local trials.
The distributor suggested that if the DOH had acted promptly, the Philippines might have had access to the Sinopharm vaccine sooner.
According to the distributor, Sinopharm eventually diverted its clinical trial priority to the UAE due to the lack of response from the DOH.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III stated he was unaware of any letter from Sinopharm regarding clinical trials, mentioning only Janssen and other pending requests.
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