Independent committee to be created to monitor COVID-19 clinical trials — DOST’s Dela Peña

An independent committee will be formed to monitor the safety of the clinical trials of the coronavirus 2019 vaccine in the country, the government announced Monday.

At a virtual briefing, Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said the agency will recommend the formation of the committee to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

"Ang sub-technical working group na pinamumunuan ng DOST ay magrerekomenda rin, although hindi pa po ito nate-take up sa IATF, nag mag-create ng Safety and Monitoring Committee," he said.

The Safety and Monitoring Committee (DSMC), together with the sponsor of the clinical trial team, will together monitor the safety of the vaccine while being treated.

"Together, they will monitor the safety of the vaccine while they are being trialed," said Dela Peña

Just last week, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the WHO solidarity trial vaccines in the country could start by end-October.

During the briefing on Monday, Dela Peña said eight zones have been identified for the clinical trials:

• Philippine General Hospital
• Manila Doctors Hospital; San Lazaro Hospital
• Lung Center of the Philippines
• St. Luke's Medical Center - Quezon City; Research Institute for Tropical Medicine; Makati Medical Center
• The Medical City
• St. Luke's Medical Center - BGC
• Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center combined with Chong Hua Hospital; De La Salle Health Sciences Institute
• Southern Philippines Medical Center

The Philippines has so far signed five confidentiality data agreements for five vaccines so far -- Seqirus (Australia); Gamaleya (Russia); Addimune (Taiwan); Sinovac (China); and Sinopharm (China). — RSJ, GMA News