Even with Russia already offering the country the Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, the Department of Science and Technology made clear it still welcomes clinical trials on vaccines being manufactured by other countries.
"We are also talking to other countries as well where we have bilateral agreements. We have been talking also to the US, Australia, and other European countries so they are all on equal footing as far as we are concerned," said DOST Usec. Rowena Cristina Guevara, Chair of the sub-twg on Vaccine Development.
In a post on the DOST Facebook page, DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Pena said the country has already committed to the World Health Organization (WHO) Solidary Trial for Vaccine particularly the clinical trials Phase 3 of four or five vaccines that were pre-qualified by WHO.
The DOST is also encouraging local pharmaceutical companies to put up a fill and finish a manufacturing plant for a vaccine against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research Development (DOST-PCHRD) Executive Director Jaime Montoya said vaccine experts from the DOST and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will assess and decide if they will allow the clinical trial of Sputnik V to proceed here.
"They will also ask for copies of Russia's research protocol as there only limited information made available to the public,'" he added.
DOST, being the head of Sub-Technical Working Group (TWG) on vaccine development, is tasked to review the recommendations of the vaccine expert panel it has appointed regarding possible collaborations for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.