JAKARTA, Aug 7 (The Jakarta Post/ANN): Indonesian scientists are set to begin the phase III medical trials of a possible Covid-19 vaccine developed by China-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech on Tuesday (Aug 10) in six various places in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung.Padjajaran University (Unpad) Medical School professor Kusnandi Rusmil, who is also the scientific trial research study team leader, said the human trials would start on Aug. 11 although the number of registered volunteers as of Thursday was still half the target. The trial subjects will be divided into the two groups randomly.Prior to the trials, the team will make sure that volunteers receive a clear description about the trial procedure from physicians, before they sign a letter of arrangement to state their ability to be test subjects.Kusnandi said the volunteers should be physically healthy and should test negative for COVID-19 prior to the vaccine trials.99 percent comparable to that in China.He said Bio Farma would increase its production capacity and be prepared to produce 250 million dosages of the Sinovac vaccine per year by December.The company likewise prepared to invest loan funds of at least Rp 1.3 trillion (US$88 million) in the development of facilities and human resources in the research study and production systems, he added.Food and Drug Supervisory Company (BPOM) head Penny Kusumastuti Lukito stated the firm had actually been working closely with the medical trial research group to make sure the stage III trials could be carried out safely and in an ethically appropriate manner.
Indonesia to start phase III scientific trials of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine on Aug 10
