The government is set to join another clinical trial for the development of a Covid-19 vaccine.
In its resolution no. 44, series of 2020, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) approved the recommendation of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for the country to participate in the clinical trials of the China-based pharmaceutical company, Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
Aside from Sinovac, IATF also allowed the clinical trials of Adimmune Corporation; Academia Sinica; Chinese Academy of Science-Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health; SinoPharma-Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Beijing Institute to be held in the country.
Ongoing trials
However, the government currently has updates on the country’s participation on clinical trials being spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well for the Japanese flu-drug, Avigan.
In his 11th report to Congress on the implementation of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said 22 hospitals are now actively recruiting participant-patients for the WHO trials.
“As of June 3, 2020, there are 220 participant-patients or enrollees in the clinical trials,” Duterte said.
The also noted that the United Nations Office for Project Services is now facilitating the delivery of Avigan, which will be good for 100 patients three local hospitals.
These include Sta. Ana Hospital; Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital; and Quirino Memorial Medical Center.
Business component
Likewise, IATF resolution No. 44, included the Philippine Board of Investments shall form part of the IATF sub-Technical Working on the Vaccine Development.
The same issuance also intensified the government’s price monitoring initiative by “strengthening the role of the Local Price Coordinating Councils in adopting a whole-nation approach to price monitoring, price enforcement, and price adjudication.”
IATF said the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will come up with a Joint Memorandum Circular to implement this.