Sinopharm, Sinovac to file EUA for COVID-19 vaccines with FDA — envoy

Two of China’s COVID-19 vaccine makers—Sinopharm and Sinovac—will seek emergency use approval from the Philippines’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week, Manila’s Ambassador to Beijing Jose Santiago “Chito” Sta. Romana said Monday.

Sta. Romana disclosed this following the embassy’s communication with Sinopharm and Sinovac.

“Apparently, their plan right now, according to them, is that they hope to file in the next few days. Sometime this week they will file their EUA [emergency use authorization] application with the FDA in the Philippines,” he said at a Palace news conference.

“Our embassy is in touch with these two companies of course and we try to facilitate their contact with IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] and if there’s any information that’s needed.”

Last week, China approved the vaccine developed by Sinopharm for general public use. Sinopharm’s vaccine is said to be 79% effective in preventing people from catching the coronavirus.

Sinovac’s vaccine is reportedly 50% effective but Malacañang said the efficacy rate is within the minimum standard set by the World Health Organization.

FDA Director General Eric Domingo previously said that American firm Pfizer had submitted an EUA application for the vaccine it developed with BioNTech.

The Janssen vaccine, meanwhile, will go through late-stage clinical trials in the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA News