5 PH hospitals eyed to join possible clinical trials for China-made COVID-19 vaccine

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 31)— Five Philippine hospitals have been named as possible sites for the clinical trials for CoronaVac— Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate— should its deal with the country push through, the Health Department said Monday.

In a media forum, Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the proposed sites for the trials include the Philippine General Hospital, San Lazaro hospital, Manila Doctors Hospital, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Vergeire noted drug importer IP Biotech Inc. has submitted an application for the clinical study before the Food and Drug Administration.

“May prinoprocess na application for the clinical study. They have already submitted, na-final na ang CDA, Confidential Disclosure Agreement, at pinag-aaralan na ng vaccines experts' panel,” Vergeire said.

[Translation: There is an ongoing application for the clinical study. They have already submitted, the Confidential Disclosure Agreement has been finalized, and our vaccine experts' panel is already reviewing this.]

The Phase 3 of the clinical trial for CoronaVac already began in Indonesia this August. CNN Indonesia reported that the aim is to test the vaccine on 1,620 individuals. At least 110 of them received the first dose on August 14.

The Phase 3 trial is the critical stage where thousands of patients are vaccinated to test the drug's safety and efficacy. The completion of this stage is required before the FDA reviews the vaccine for mass rollout.

Meanwhile, the country’s vaccine research panel is also currently studying Russia’s report on its controversial “Sputnik V” coronavirus vaccine— to determine if it is safe to test out on Filipinos.