The Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases approved on Thursday the recommendations of the sub-technical working group on COVID-19 vaccine development.
Based on IATF Resolution no. 65, all applications for clinical trials should first be submitted to the Vaccine Expert Panel, reviewed by designated Ethics Boards, and submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for review and approval for the conduct of clinical trials.
Zoning guidelines on vaccine clinical trials must be issued by the sub-Technical Working Group on Vaccine Development to avoid competition for sites.
Local government units should likewise prioritize the World Health Organization (WHO) Solidarity Trial over independent trials.
The Philippine Health Research Ethics Board (PHREB), meanwhile, should review the Ethical Guidelines for the COVID-19 clinical trials and standardize compensation of trial participants both for WHO Solidarity Trial and independent clinical trials.
President Duterte has accepted Russia's offer to supply the Philippines with its COVID-19 vaccines and even vowed to be the first to take a shot to show his gratitude to Russia and to see if these are safe or not.
However, Malacañang said President Duterte can only get vaccinated as early as May 1, 2021, a date determined by the departments of Science and Technology (DOST) and of Health (DOH).
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said last week that an expert panel review from the Philippines will first have to review the results of the first and second phases of the clinical trials of the Russian vaccine in September.
The third phase of the clinical trials of Sputnik V by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology will be held simultaneously in the Philippines and Russia from October, 2020, to March, 2021. According to Roque, Russia will fund the clinical trials in the Philippines.
The vaccine is expected to be registered with the local Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by April, 2021.