Solon lambasts ‘conflict of interest’ as private firms leading ASF vaccine trials

A lawmaker on Wednesday grilled the Bureau of Animal Industry for allowing private suppliers to lead vaccine trials on African Swine Fever.

In a Senate hearing on Wednesday, BAI Director Paul Limson admitted that they are just "monitoring" the field trials.

Limson's remarks came after Senator Cynthia Villar mentioned that the BAI should be leading the trials to make more independent assessments of the vaccines.

"Justify niyo nga sa akin bakit ninyo ginagawa, kasi ako nasho-shock (Can you justify it to me why are you not doing it because its shcoking me). You don't think there is a conflict of interest?" Villar, who chairs the Senate panel on agriculture, asked Limson.

Limson cited the Food and Drug Administration guidelines stating that "the initiation, management, and or financing of clinical trials" is the responsibility of sponsors—these could be individuals, companies, institutions, or organizations.

the FDA guidelines also allow sponsors to tap Contract Research Organizations to conduct the trials.

Meanwhile, Villar also criticized the private suppliers of vaccines for apparently hastening the process even if there are no approved vaccines for ASF yet.

She then suggested that the budget should be realigned first in the indemnification of hog raisers affected by the disease while waiting for the approval of ASF vaccines.

The Department of Agriculture-BAI has earlier asked the Food and Drug Administration to certify a Vietnam-made ASF vaccine for its immediate distribution in the country.

It was followed by the bureau's endorsement to the FDA for the issuance of a Certificate of Product Registration—which will allow the commercial release of the vaccine in the country.

On June 2, BAI Assistant Director Arlyn Vytiaco said they have recommended the AVAC doses—which have been proven "effective" – following the completion of safety and efficacy trials in at least six areas in Luzon.

Vytiaco noted that 100 percent of the hogs who were vaccinated during the trials produced antibodies, and showed "no ill or side effects."

However, the BAI was still requesting the FDA for the CPR of the vaccine.

The first ASF case was detected in the Philippines in 2019.

Villar lamented that "lack of vaccine or effective treatment has made the control of the disease very challenging."