Five vaccine makers eye PH clinical trials

At least five potential COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have expressed interest in conducting clinical trials in the Philippines, including Sinovac, Sputnik V, Clover Biopharmaceuticals, and AstraZeneca.

For a vaccine to conduct clinical trials locally, it must first secure clearance from a panel of vaccine experts under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), followed by approval from the Ethics Board and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The FDA has stated that Sinovac has been cleared by the DOST vaccine expert panel and is currently under FDA evaluation.

British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has also submitted its application to hold clinical trials in the Philippines and was recently accepted by the vaccine experts panel.

Health authorities see this as a good indication, as the Philippine government desires to test vaccines among Filipinos before widespread vaccination.

The Philippines' COVID-19 task force has formed the COVID-19 Vaccine Cluster to manage vaccine procurement, supply chain, logistics, and distribution.