Sinovac’s COVID-19 vaccine trial gets FDA nod

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 19) — The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it has approved the application of Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech to conduct a clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine in the country.

“Lahat po ng nag-apply ng clinical trials sa FDA, na-approve na po 'yan,” FDA Director General Rolando Domingo said in a briefing, referring to Janssen, the vaccine arm of American firm Johnson & Johnson and Chinese companies Sinovac and Clover Biopharmaceutical.

[Translation: All of the manufacturers which applied to hold clinical trials have been approved.]

Janssen passed the FDA’s review in December while Clover received the clearance to hold clinical trials earlier this month.

The FDA has so far granted emergency use authorization only to Pfizer and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine. The regulator is still reviewing applications for EUA of vaccines made by Sinovac, British company AstraZeneca, and Russian firm’s Gamaleya Institute.