(FILE) APPROVED FOR TESTING Janssen’s candidate vaccine leverages its AdVac platform, which was also used to develop and manufacture an Ebola vaccine regimen, and construct its Zika, RSV, and HIV investigational candidate vaccines. —REUTERS
MANILA, Philippines — Three Covid-19 vaccines have been cleared so far by regulators to be tested in the Philippines through Phase 3 clinical trials— the vaccines developed by Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals and Chinese firms Clover Biopharmaceuticals and Sinovac Biotech.
Under Phase 3 clinical trials, thousands of patients have to be inoculated with the candidate vaccine to test its efficacy and safety. It is also usually the final step before approval for mass rollout.
Currently, there is no definite date yet when the clinical trials will start for Janssen, Clover, and Sinovac.
“But they intend to start the soonest when the process of determining and preparing their trials sites are completed,” Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Rowena Guevarra said Friday in an online press briefing.
Here are the target trial sites for each vaccine, according to the DOST official:
Janssen
-San Pablo, Laguna
-Cabuyao, Laguna
-Makati City
-La Paz, Iloilo
-Bacolod City
-Metro Manila
Clover Biopharmaceuticals
-Quezon City
-Makati City
-Manila City
-Taguig City
-Las Piñas City
-Parañaque City
-Calamba, Laguna
-Dasmariñas, Cavite
Sinovac Biotech
-Quezon City
-Marikina City
-Pasay City
-Alaminos, Laguna
The sites were selected by the task group on vaccine evaluation and selection to ensure that the clinical trial sites do not “intersect” with each other.
“So while I gave you the list of the cities, what we actually gave to the three companies are the specific barangays where they can conduct their specific trials,” Guevarra said.
The mayors of cities where the tests will be made have already been notified that their areas have been selected as trial sites for the studies, she added.
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