Another western firm to apply for COVID-19 vaccine authorization — Palace

MANILA, Philippines — Another western pharmaceutical company may apply for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines in the coming days, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“Right now we are expecting in a day or two, I believe another western company will apply for an EUA,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in his regular press briefing.

“Let’s hope that they will, but that is the declaration of (Food and Drug Administration chief) Usec. (Eric) Domingo and Sec. (Carlito) Galvez,” he added.

So far, only American drugmaker Pfizer has applied for an EUA in the Philippines.

Securing an EUA from the Philippines’ FDA will allow a new vaccine to be administered in the country after mandatory clinical trials.

The FDA earlier said applicants first need to secure an EUA from the regulatory agency in their country of origin before applying for the same in the Philippines. It will then take FDA 21 days to evaluate and approve the EUA application.

The government is banking on the vaccine of China’s Sinovac Biotech to be the first to reach the country with officials saying it may arrive in the first quarter of 2021.

According to Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana, Sinovac, as well as Sinopharm, may soon apply for an EUA in the Philippines.

The government has so far secured 2.6 million doses of vaccine from British drugmaker AstraZeneca, which are expected to arrive in the second quarter of 2021.

Negotiations for vaccine supply of Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute and Moderna of the United States are also underway.

EDV