DOH: Pfizer will not conduct clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccine in PH

MANILA, Philippines — US-based drug manufacturer Pfizer will not hold clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines as it is “well advanced already” with its Phase 3 clinical trial, the Department of Health (DOH) said Monday.

Philippine government officials and vaccine experts met with the pharmaceutical giant last Friday, September 4, and talked about the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer.

Pfizer intends to finish its clinical trial by the end of October.

“‘Yung first na meeting with Pfizer walang commitments na nangyari pa. We just had to explain to them our regulatory processes,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online media forum.

“Nagbigay sila ng information na hindi sila gagawa ng clinical trial dito sa Philippines because they are well advanced already with their Phase 3 clinical trial. Accordingly, sinabi nila na baka end of October tapos na ang kanilang Phase 3 clinical trial,” she added.

(They said they will not conduct clinical trials here in the Philippines because they are well advanced already with their Phase 3 clinical trial. Accordingly, they said their trials could be finished by the end of October.)

During the meeting, officials also discussed the confidentiality non-disclosure agreement (CDA) and preordering.

“Pag-uusapan ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno kung paano ito gagawin because may limitasyon din tayo when it comes to preordering without the products yet,” Vergeire said.

(Government agencies will have to talk about pre-ordering because we have limitations when it comes to preordering without the products yet.)

Once the CDA is finalized, the two parties will meet again, she added.

KGA