DOST bares target cities for clinical trials of Janssen, Clover, Sinovac vaccines

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Friday identified the target sites where the clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Janssen, Clover, and Sinovac will be conducted.

In a virtual briefing, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Guevara said there is no definite date yet when the clinical trials will start.

“But they intend to start the soonest when the process of determining and preparing their trail sites are completed,” Guevara said.

The target cities where the clinicals trial will be conducted  are as follows:

• San Pablo and Cabuyao, Laguna; Makati City, La Pa, Iloilo; Bacolod City; and Metro Manila for Janssen
• Quezon City, Makati City, Manila City, Taguig City, Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City; Calamba, Laguna; and Dasmariñas, Cavite for Clover
• Quezon City, Marikina City, Pasay City, and Alaminos, Laguna for Sinovac

On December 29, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Phase 3 clinical trial application of Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine.

On January 8, the FDA also approved the clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Chinese firm Clover Biopharmaceuticals AUS Pty Ltd.

Early this week, Sinovac Biotech was given a go signal to conduct clinical trials of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines. 

“Kada clinical trial iba-iba ang number of volunteers na kailangan nila,” Guevara said.

Local companies tapped as contract research organizations (CRO) by the vaccine manufacturers will undertake the clinical trials, she said.  —KBK, GMA News