Chinese Company Offers Clinical Trial Of COVID 19 Vaccine In Pakistan
The offer was made in a letter written by the General Manager of China Sinopharm International Corporation to the Executive Director of NIH, Major General Dr. Amir Ikram.
The letter expressed the hope that "a successful trial will make Pakistan one of the first countries to introduce the COVID 19 vaccine."
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Dr Amir Ikram confirmed receipt of the letter and said that "no work has been done on it yet but this cooperation will be a big thing for Pakistan".
Dr Amir Ikram said "We want to increase the trend of clinical trials in the country. There are several laws before it can be started. It has to be approved by the Medical Ethics Committee and others. But when we get clearance, we will start it.
According to Dr. Amir Ikram, the advantage of conducting a clinical trial of the vaccine in Pakistan is that if it is successful, the country will be able to buy it on a priority basis.
It should be noted that the National Institutes of Health is an independent institution under the Ministry of Health.
The letter from the Chinese company said that Sinofarm was one of the first companies to develop a vaccine against the novel Coronavirus.
The Chinese company said regulatory authorities around the world have developed emergency protocols to facilitate the early introduction of the COD 19 vaccine, and Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials are being assembled in China to expedite the process.
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The company also suggested to Pakistan that the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) adopt the same procedure.
The letter said that the NIH has the required technical skills and elements to conduct clinical trials by recruiting participants through a reputed medical institution.
The letter suggested that Health B Projects Pvt. Ltd. and NIH, the representative company of Sino Farm, should immediately draw up a memorandum of understanding for the planning and implementation of the joint trial of Phase 1 and Phase 2.
The general manager of the Chinese company said that by signing the agreement, Sinofarm would be able to provide more confidential information regarding the vaccine's approval and planning.
The letter from NIH requested the Ministry of Health and DRAP to approve the trial. I will provide 'full support'.
The company added: "We will work closely with the NIH's trial team to make the clinical trial a success, as this effort is critical to our countries given the current epidemic situation."
