Sinovac gets FDA nod to conduct Covid-19 vaccine trials in PH

Health Usec. Eric Domingo of the Food and Drug Administration. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the application of Chinese vaccine manufacturer Sinovac Biotech to conduct clinical trials of its Covid-19 vaccine in the Philippines.

“Lahat po ng nag-apply ng clinical trials sa FDA, na-approve na po ‘yan. So I would presume nag-umpisa na po ‘yan. Iyan po si Janssen ng Johnson & Johnson, iyong Clover Biopharmaceutical, tsaka po iyong Sinovac, meron din silang clinical trial dito,” FDA Director-General Eric Domingo said Tuesday in a televised Laging Handa public briefing.

(All of the companies that applied with the FDA for clinical trials have already been approved. So I assumed they started it already. The Janssen of Johnson & Johnson, the Clover Biopharmaceutical, and Sinovac, all of them have clinical trials here.)

The FDA first approved the application of Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals to test its vaccine candidate in the Philippines.

Another China-based firm, Clover Biopharmaceuticals, has also secured the FDA clearance.

The government has already secured 25 million doses of CoronaVac, Sinovac’s coronavirus vaccine, even as the firm has yet to apply for EUA in the Philippines.

According to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., the government expects Sinovac to secure its EUA with the FDA before Feb. 20. Securing an EUA will allow a new vaccine to be administered in the country.

JPV