FDA forms task force to evaluate ASF vaccines

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has formed a task force that will evaluate applications for product registration of African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines.

In a statement on Saturday, the FDA said it created Task Force Moccus, an organizational unit within the agency, ''which aims to ensure that safe, effective, and good-quality ASF drugs and vaccines are made available to curb the spread of the virus in the hog population in the country."

Task Force Moccus was named after the boar or swine Celtic god of Lingones, identified with Mercury, according to the FDA.

"The Task Force shall facilitate applications for ASF drugs and vaccines to control the disease responsible for a significant reduction in the country's swine population [and] causing billions of pesos [in] losses in the local hog sector and allied industries," it said.

The FDA said it supports the administration's program to rehabilitate the local hog industry and ensure the availability and affordability of pork products, all for the purpose of attaining food security.

"To date, only one ASF vaccine Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) has submitted an application for a Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) under Monitored Release (MR)," it said.

"To this end, the FDA encourages the veterinary pharmaceutical industry to submit applications with complete requirements in support of the government's efforts to control the ASF infection," it added. — VBL, GMA Integrated News