The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Monday, April 12, that China’s Sinovac Biotech may not pursue its vaccine clinical trials in the country.
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said the Chinese vaccine developer has called off its plan to conduct its Phase 3 clinical trials in the Philippines after its SARS-CoV-2 vaccine Vero Cell Inactivated, or the CoronaVac was granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Yung Sinovac kasi nung naaprubahan ang EUA (emergency use authorization) nila, tinigil nila ang pagpursue ng clinical trials. Although nakikipag-usap pa rin sa possibility …baka hindi na sila tumuloy kung kasama ng WHO (World Health Organization) ang Sinovac sa clinical trials, most likely hindi na sila magcli-clinical trials dito (When Sinovac got EUA for its vaccine, they stopped pursuing clinical trials. Although they were still talking to us about the possibility of conducting the trials…maybe they will not pursue if the WHO will include Sinovac in the clinical trials, most likely they will not conduct clinical trials here),” he said during the televised Laging Handa briefing.
In February, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said after a thorough and rigorous review of the currently available published and unpublished data by the country’s regulatory and medical experts, the FDA has granted EUA to Sinovac’s vaccine.
During the public briefing, de la Peña said Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceuticals already completed its actual trials and is expected to start its data analysis.
Janssen, 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.
It conducted its clinical trials in February this year.
Meanwhile, China’s Clover Biopharmaceuticals’ recruitment of participants, and actual vaccination trials “are ongoing”, de la Peña said.
De la Peña said only three vaccine developers were given the green light to conduct their Phase 3 clinical trials in the Philippines. These are Clover Pharmaceuticals, and Sinovac Biotech and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
"Wala na pong nadagdag na naaprubahan for clinical trials (No additional vaccine developers have been approved for clinical trials),” he said.