Next clinical trials to focus on jabs vs. new variants

MANILA – New clinical trials on vaccines that can fight the emerging variants of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) may commence soon, Malacañang announced on Saturday.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved the recommendation to consider the application for the conduct of the trials, subject to the consideration of the Food and Drug Administration.

The study will focus on people of different age groups and people with comorbidities, or the immune-compromised to be more inclusive in addressing the pandemic.

Also approved was the recommendation to prioritize the Phase 3 clinical trials that will enroll volunteers in the pediatric age groups (six months to 12 years old), elderly (60 years old and above), pregnant, and patients with immunodeficiency, autoimmune diseases, renal diseases, and chronic respiratory ailments.

Roque added that the IATF likewise approved the recommendation to consider the application for the conduct of new clinical trials in the general health populations “if vaccines address the impact of new variants.”

The vaccine can be a third dose of a vaccine with Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the Philippines, or second-generation Covid-19 vaccines under EUA.