JANSSEN Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson has started local clinical trials for its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevara announced in a press briefing on Friday.

The trial proper “started with patient screening, recruitment, and vaccination,” Ms. Guevara said.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals has previously identified trial sites in the capital Metro Manila, in the Calabarzon Region, and Western Visayas.

She said other details such as the number of participants can only be disclosed by the company.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved in 2020 the request of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Belgium-based firm owned by Johnson & Johnson, to hold local clinical trials in the Philippines.

Other vaccine manufacturers that have applied for clinical trials in the country include China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd., Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, and Chinese drug company Clover Biopharmaceuticals. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR