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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 18) – After the delay in Pfizer vaccine talks, a Philippine envoy revealed on Friday that two other US biopharmaceutical companies have expressed that they are ready to supply 4 to 25 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines by the second half. from 2021.
The Philippine Ambassador to the United States, José Manuel “Babe” Romualdez, said Moderna and Arcturus have already committed to the Philippines.
“I am pleased to report that, in addition to Pfizer, Moderna and Arcturus are set to supply the Philippines with between 4 and 25 million of their respective vaccines as of the third quarter of 2021.” it said in a statement.
Romualdez said the Philippine government has to “find his proposals acceptable” before the acquisition deals can be sealed. He urged authorities to consider the promising results of the two candidate vaccines.
The US FDA is expected to grant an emergency use authorization for Moderna’s candidate vaccine after its advisory panel voted to recommend it. The efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine was 94.1%, and it occurred at least 14 days after the second dose, according to an information paper released by a US FDA advisory committee.
Meanwhile, biotech firm Arcturus Therapeutics said it hopes to begin rolling out its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which is jointly developed by Singaporean scientists, in the first quarter of next year after Phase 1 and 2 of its trial. clinicians will show encouraging results.
Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr., tweeted Tuesday that he and the Philippine ambassador to the United States, José Manuel “Babe” Romualdez, were able to ensure that 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine would reach the country in January. from 2021, but plans were thwarted because “someone dropped the ball.” Romualdez said the arrival of the vaccine will most likely be delayed a few months because other nations were able to close deals before the Philippines.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, after discussing with Romualdez and Locsin, revealed that the Secretary of Health, Francisco Duque III, spoiled the deal negotiated by the Philippine diplomats by “not working on the necessary documentary requirement.”
Duque denied the allegations and said he worked on the papers as soon as they arrived at his office. He said he studied them carefully to make sure the deal is not onerous. Vaccine czar Carlito Gálvez Jr. also came to his defense, saying that the claim that 10 million doses could have been immediately secured if not for Duque is “impossible.”
Philippine officials are continuing talks with Pfizer to close a vaccine supply deal, but Romualdez said the number of doses will be cut to five million.
The Duterte administration is still confident that the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine will be the first vaccine to reach the Philippines. Roque said Tuesday that Sinovac is the only brand that can provide supply as soon as possible, which is in March or April 2021. The government is looking to secure up to 25 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, even if the Chinese drugmaker has It has not yet disclosed the results of its phase 3 clinical trials to show that it is safe and effective.
So far, the country has formally secured 2.6 million doses of vaccines from British drugmaker AstraZeneca, expected to arrive in the second quarter of 2021. The deal was closed through a $ 600 million donation from more than 30 companies. private. The company also agreed to provide another batch of vaccines, authorities said.
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