MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology on Friday identified the target sites for the planned clinical trials of coronavirus vaccines developed by three pharmaceutical companies which had been given the local regulator's nod.
Belgium-based firm Janssen Pharmaceutica and Chinese drugmakers Sinovac Biotech and Clover Biopharmaceuticals have secured approval from the country's Food and Drug Administration to conduct clinical trials of their COVID-19 shots in the country.
There is no definite date yet for the start of the Phase 3 clinical trials, DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said.
“They intend to start the soonest when the process of determining and preparing their trial sites is completed,” Guevara said in a briefing.
The cities and municipalities where COVID-19 vaccines are targeted to be tested are the following:
Janssen
- San Pablo, Laguna
- Cabuyao, Laguna
- Makati City
- and Metro Manila
- La Paz, Iloilo
- Bacolod City
Clover
- Quezon City
- Makati City
- Taguig City
- Las Piñas City
- Muntinlupa City
- Calamba, Laguna
- Dasmariñas, Cavite
Sinovac
- Quezon City
- Marikina City
- Pasay City
- Alaminos, Laguna
“What we actually gave to the three companies are the specific barangays where they can conduct their trials,” Guevara said.
Such trials, which involve thousands of participants, are done to determine if COVID-19 vaccine candidates are both safe and effective.
The DOST official said Bharat Biotech signed a confidentiality data agreement with the government on the conduct of Phase 3 trial of its vaccine. The Indian firm also submitted an application for the emergency use of its COVID-19 shot in the Philippines.
The Philippines logged 2,178 additional cases, the biggest daily rise in more than two months. To date, 509,887 people have had COVID-19 in the country. — Gaea Katreena Cabico