Three COVID-19 vaccine makers passed the Philippines’ ethics review board, according to DOH.
The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said that three COVID-19 vaccine makers seeking to run clinical trials in the country passed the Philippines’ ethics review board.
This, as it’s one of the requirements needed before undergoing vaccine evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration in the Philippines (FDA Philippines).
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the ethics review board approved AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Clover.
Vergeire’s statement came after reiterating that Chinese companies Clover Biopharmaceuticals and Sinovac had already been given clearance by the vaccine expert panel.
AstraZeneca and Janssen of Johnson & Johnson were both Europe-based firms.
Officials had previously mentioned that the application of Clover Biopharmaceuticals had already been forwarded to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after passing both the vaccine expert panel and the ethics review board.
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Vergeire also explained that the vaccine expert panel evaluation and the ethics review were done in parallel with each other.
Vaccine makers must secure both approval from vaccine expert panel and ethics review board before moving on to the FDA application.
All the other vaccine developers mentioned were frontrunners in the race for a coronavirus vaccine by conducting Phase 3 clinical trials in their respective home countries — except for Clover.
Earlier, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that the Philippines may start vaccinating its citizens with the COVID-19 vaccine around March or April next year.
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