ADVERTISEMENT
Novavax seeks approval for emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines
American drugmaker Novavax has filed an application for emergency use authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday.
“They have [applied] but requirements not yet complete,” FDA chief Eric Domingo told GMA News Online in a text message.
Domingo earlier said the Novavax jab was “very promising”
and performed well even against the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant.Novavax also said its protein-based vaccine showed 93% effectiveness against the highly transmissible Alpha, Beta, and Gamma variants.
The vaccine, which is manufactured in India, was found to be 100% effective in preventing moderate and severe COVID-19 infection.
The Philippines signed a supply agreement for 30 million doses of the Novavax shot
ADVERTISEMENT
The Indian envoy to the Philippines previously said the doses would arrive in the third or fourth quarter of the year.
According to a Reuters report, however, Novavax has been struggling to access the raw materials and equipment needed to produce its vaccine.
Manila’s ambassador to Washington has also said that Novavax was among the firms interested in putting up a vaccine manufacturing plant in the Philippines.
The Philippines has so far administered over 23 million doses of the Sinovac, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Sputnik V, and Moderna vaccines. — Julia Mari Ornedo/RSJ, GMA News