Sinopharma drops Phase 3 vaccine trial in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinopharma will not pursue an earlier plan to conduct Phase 3 clinical trials of the candidate COVID-19 vaccine it is developing in the Philippines.

Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, said the decision of the foreign pharmaceutical came after the DOST-PCHRD declined a proposal of Sinopharma for a co-financing scheme.

“I think it is not really that they backed out,” Montoya told The STAR. “They just decided not to do Phase 3 clinical trials in the Philippines. They wanted a co-funding arrangement but the government is only committed to support the WHO Solidarity Trials. We have limited funds.”

Montoya, however, said that Sinopharma will still sell a COVID-19 vaccine that they will develop.

“But I think they are still interested in marketing the vaccine in the Philippines,” Montoya said.

The DOST-PCHRD is providing the P89.1-million funding for the conduct of Phase 3 clinical trials of candidate COVID-19 vaccines being developed by foreign pharmaceuticals and institutions.

Sinopharma is one of six foreign institutions and pharmaceutical companies that signed a Confidentiality Data Agreement (CDA) with the PCHRD – a requirement for most of them before handing over data on Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials that is needed for the Philippines’ DOST and Food and Drug Administration to review, prior to approving the conduct of Phase 3 vaccine clinical trials.

Montoya said there are some foreign pharmaceuticals developing candidate COVID-19 vaccines that did not require a CDA prior to handing over data on Phase 1 and 2 trials and submitting applications for the conduct of Phase 3 clinical trials of their candidate vaccine.