AstraZeneca applies for emergency use approval for its COVID-19 vaccine —FDA

British pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca on Wednesday applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration said.

“Yes they did (apply). A few minutes ago,” FDA director general Eric Domingo said in a text message to GMA News Online when asked on the matter.

“Sa ngayon po ay dina-download pa namin ‘yung kanilang application para maipadala po namin agad sa ating evaluators, sa experts natin, at saka sa regulatory officers ng FDA,” he said in a separate interview with CNN Philippines.

On Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said another company from a Western country is set to seek EUA.

American firm Pfizer earlier submitted an EUA application for the vaccine it developed with German company BioNTech. FDA is expected to decide on Pfizer's application by January 14.

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

The Philippine private sector is set to increase the amount of vaccines it ordered from  AstraZeneca to as much as 6 million doses, presidential adviser on entrepreneurship Jose Ma. "Joey" Concepcion III said Tuesday.

In an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, Concepcion said the private sector is looking to procure 3.5 million more doses of the vaccine against the COVID-19, on top of the 2.5 million to 3 million announced in November.

Vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the government was hoping to close deals this month with manufacturers Novovax, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac, and Gamaleya.

Up to 50 to 70 million Filipinos could be inoculated this year once the Philippines secures 148 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Philippines has logged 480,737 infections as of Wednesday afternoon.—with Julia Mari Ornedo/AOL, GMA News