More than 1,000 Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates are among the participants in 3 trials of the COVID-19 vaccine from the Chinese company Sinopharm, one of the pioneers in global vaccine progression efforts that oppose the new disease.
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said that some 1,500 Filipinos were among the 30,000 volunteers who joined the 3 trials introduced in the Gulf state in late June. Trials are also underway in Peru, Morocco, Bahrain, and Argentina.
In an interview with the Daily Tribune’s Straight Talk on Tuesday, September 8, Huang said that Sinopharm is one of the vaccines approved by the Chinese government for emergency use on July 22.
“Relevant tests of the Sinopharm vaccine against the primary strains of the COVID-19 virus, adding those of Beijing Xinfadi, as well as other regions of Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Austria, etc. , have shown promising effects in terms of protection and effectiveness, ”The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines said on a Wednesday, September 9.
Huang said trials for the potential vaccine have concerned more than 55,000 volunteers from 115 countries.
One thing scientists want to achieve in clinical trials of vaccines and drugs is that varied populations are included in the tests.
University of California oncologist Hala Borno, who studies the gap between “real-world demographics and clinical trial recruitment,” told STAT that recruiting diverse populations into vaccine clinical trials is meeting criteria that would ensure their protection and efficiency.
“When you don’t recruit patients for clinical trials who are ultimately going to get this intervention in the genuine world, then you may be missing a vital sign of efficacy or a significant sign of toxicity, which can also be devastating,” Borno said.
In a 2003 study published in the BMJ medical journal, Yale University of Medicine professor Saif Rathore also said that “race and ethnicity are valid biological constructs that can adjust the effect of anything. drug studied in a randomized trial and requires breed-specific treatments.
Sinopharm’s vaccine was once on the list of five applicants being considered for clinical trials in the Philippines that were due to start in October.
Other potential vaccines being considered through the Philippines Vaccine Expert Group include the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, two applicants from Taiwan, and two from China. The Philippines was also in talks with the United States about the imaginable acquisition of a vaccine developed through the American biotech company Moderna.
The Philippines has also pledged to enroll in the World Health Organization’s vaccine solidarity trial and participates in the COVAX facility of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, designed to ensure immediate, fair and equitable access to COVID- vaccines. 19 worldwide.
Huang said Sinopharm’s vaccine could be in a position for “mass advertising use” until the end of 2020. The company has built two high-end biosafety production facilities in Beijing and Wuhan, with an annual production capacity of 300 million. dose. It is expected to be successful in up to 1 billion doses consistent with the year after expansion. – Rappler. com