DOST exec: 3 more COVID-19 vaccine makers seek clinical trials in Philippines

Three more COVID-19 vaccine developers have applied for Phase 3 clinical trials in the Philippines, a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) official said Tuesday.

DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevara said the Task Group on Vaccine Evaluation and Selection received applications from the West China Hospital and Sichuan University, Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., and Eubiologics Co. Ltd.

“Evaluation of the first two new applications are ongoing, while Eubiologics Co. Ltd are still completing some requirements,” she said at a health department forum.

Guevara did not disclose the vaccine platform and target subjects of the three manufacturers, saying their applications are still undergoing review.

West China Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccine reportedly uses a coronavirus protein from insect cells, a technology that has been used in vaccines for flu and cervical cancer.

Kangtai Biological’s shot, which has been approved for emergency use in China, uses an inactivated coronavirus.

Eubiologics’ protein subunit vaccine is manufactured in South Korea but Philippine firm Glovax Biotech Corp. seeks to produce it locally.

Other trials

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has so far approved the applications of Janssen, Clover Biopharmaceuticals, and Sinovac to hold clinical trials for their COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

Guevara said the trials of Janssen and Clover Biopharmaceuticals are ongoing while Sinovac has yet to submit additional documents.

She also said the DOST is still awaiting the final protocol and list of vaccines from the World Health Organization for its Solidarity Vaccine Trials to secure approval from the FDA and the ethics board.

The Philippines has received over 8 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines developed by Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Sputnik V.

Over 3 million people have been vaccinated as of May 24, still far from the government’s target of inoculating 50 million to 70 million people this year. -MDM, GMA News