Two Chinese vaccine developers may soon start its coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine clinical trials in the country, an official of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Saturday, Feb. 20.
Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said China's Sinovac and Clover Biopharmaceuticals are finalizing their preparations for their vaccine clinical trials after they were given the green light to conduct such initiative this year.
"‘Yung Sinovac at Clover independent clinical trial, nasa last stage na ng preparation ng kanilang trial sites at malapit na din po magsimula ang dalawang yan (The Sinovac and Clover independent trial, they are on the last stage of preparation of their trial sites and they are about to begin),” she said during the “Laging Handa” briefing on Saturday, Feb. 20.
She noted that the two Chinese vaccine firms already got the nod of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct independent clinical trials in the country in January this year.
“Nagfi-finalize na sila ng kanilang trial sites (They are finalizing their trail sites),” Guevara said.
The FDA approved Clover Biopharmaceuticals’ independent clinical trial application on Jan.8, while Sinovac secured FDA’s approval on Jan. 15.
Guevara said Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals started its Phase 3 vaccine clinical trials last week.
The company, which is owned by American firm Johnson & Johnson, is the first vaccine developer to have secured FDA’s approval to conduct clinical trials in the country on Dec. 28, 2020.
Guevara said Janssen’s vaccine trials are expected in the National Capital Region (NCR), Calabarzon and Western Visayas.
She said Janssen already started recruiting and screening participants. She explained that after the participants pass the screening, they will be enrolled for the vaccination and after getting the jab, they will be monitored to check on the possible side effects of the vaccines.
She said the volunteers need not to worry since the vaccine developers will “shoulder the costs” of those who join the independent trials and eventually experience adverse reactions.