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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DOST: China's Sinovac to start vaccine clinical trials among elderly in April

DOST: China's Sinovac to start vaccine clinical trials among elderly in April

Published Feb 28, 2021 10:44 am

China's Sinovac Biotech will likely start its vaccine clinical trials among the elderly in April, an official of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Sunday, Feb. 28.

MANILA BULLETIN FILE

Dr. Nina Gloriani, who heads the DOST’s vaccine expert panel, said Sinovac Biotech is expected to start its Phase 3 trials in April, four months after it got the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct independent clinical trials in the country this year. 

"Magkakaron po tayo ng trials sa Sinovac sa elderly, 60 years and above. Maganda po makita natin ang datos ng Sinovac doon. Magi-istart yata sa April (Sinovac will have its trials among the elderly, 60 years and above. It is good that we will be able to see the data of Sinovac trials. It might start in April),” she told the ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo in an interview on Sunday. 

She made the pronouncement as the government is expected to receive the 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines donated by the Chinese government. 

Sinovac Biotech, Clover Pharmaceuticals, and Janssen Pharmaceuticals have been given the green light to conduct their Phase 3 clinical trials in the Philippines. 

Sinovac secured FDA’s approval on Jan. 15, while Clover Biopharmaceuticals’ independent clinical trial application on Jan.8.

“Ka-approve pa lang po ng kanilang protocol ng FDA pero they are still doing the groundwork, they should be able to start the implementation of Phase 3 trial nila sa elderly by April (The FDA just approved their protocol, but they are still doing their groundwork, they should be able to start the implementation of Phase 3 trial among the elderly by April) ” Gloriani said.

In a televised press briefing last week, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said after a thorough and rigorous review of the currently available published and unpublished data by the country’s regulatory and medical experts, the FDA has granted emergency use authorisation (EUA) to Sinovac’s vaccine  known as SARS-CoV-2 vaccine Vero Cell Inactivated, or the CoronaVac.

Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals started this month its Phase 3 vaccine clinical trials.

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