MANILA, Philippines — China's Sinovac has secured approval to hold clinical trials in the country for its coronavirus vaccine, local regulators said Tuesday.
Such trials, which would involve a certain number of participants, are done to determine if candidate vaccines for the deadly virus that has infected and killed millions are safe and effective.
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Five drugmakers had initially applied to conduct the tests at home last year, but the British-Swedish AstraZeneca and Russia's Gamaleya pulled out and opted to directly apply for emergency use.
This then left Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Chinese manufacturers Clover and Sinovac in the trials, all of which had been given the FDA's nod.
"Lahat po ng nag-apply ng clinical trials sa FDA na-approve na po 'yan," Director General Eric Domingo said in a Laging Handa briefing. "I would presume nag-umpisa na po 'yan."
(All of those applying for clinical trials are now approved by the FDA, so i would presume it has already begun.)
Janssen had been the first to secure authorization for the trials in late-December, Clover in the first week of January and Sinovac recently.
Domingo had then said that the science and technology department's vaccine expert panel would be the one to assign the site of the trials, including the recruitment of volunteers.
The Chinese-made Sinovac has faced public scrutiny in the country over the Duterte administration's seeming preference for the jabs, despite its efficacy rate still unclear and its final price yet to be disclosed by officials.
Palace has sought to deny that it has favorites on vaccine preference, but it was President Rodrigo Duterte who backed the Chinese jabs and claimed that they are all the same.
A term sheet for some 25 million doses was also recently signed by the administration, which had alarmed lawmakers who aired concern over uncertainties still looming over Sinovac.
At a Senate hearing on the government's vaccination program, officials said the administration could still back out of the deal with the Chinese.
But days later, the Palace refuted such pronouncements by its own men, saying the purchase is already a done deal and is only waiting for the FDA's approval.
Sinovac had also applied for emergency use authorization along with two other vaccine manufacturers. It has, however, yet to turn in to local regulators the results of its crucial Phase 3 clinical trials.