FDA’s Domingo: Expert panel evaluating Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial application

The Philippine's Vaccine Expert Panel (VEP) is currently reviewing the application of an Australian pharmaceutical company for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in the country, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director-general Eric Domingo said on Friday.

"There's a number three company that has shown interest in doing clinical trials here in the Philippines and they are undergoing pre-screening sa Vaccine Expert Panel," Domingo said in an online forum of the Department of Health.

He was referring to Clover Biopharmaceuticals from Australia.

The firm probably submitted its application to the VEP earlier this week, according to Domingo, as he mentioned that he was only informed about it this Friday.

Aside from this, the proposed clinical trials for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine candidate Janssen is still being evaluated by the expert panel.

China's Sinovac has already secured the VEP's nod and is undergoing ethics and regulatory reviews.

The formal evaluation of Russia's Sputnik V that was developed by Gamaleya Research Institute, on the other hand, has not commenced yet as additional information is still being requested by the country's panel.

"Ang Gamaleya yata mayroon pang mga tanong at hinihinging information 'yung vaccine expert panel. When they submit that, the formal evaluation of the vaccine expert panel will start," Domingo said.

Once the VEP clears an application for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials, it shall still be vetted by the Ethics Board and the FDA. — RSJ, GMA News