Agencies press probe of Bell-Kenz Pharma

Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc. logo. INQUIRER FILES

The Department of Health (DOH), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) have created a joint panel to investigate the allegedly unethical marketing practices of Bell-Kenz Pharma Inc., a drug distribution company run by physicians. DOH spokesperson Dr. Albert Domingo said the panel was created following a meeting held Thursday by Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, FDA Director General Samuel Zacate and PRC Board of Medicine chair Zenaida Antonio. The panel urged whistleblowers to provide actionable information for which they will be protected. In a Senate probe last April 30, Bell-Kenz Pharma was found to have offered financial incentives to physicians who market the company’s products. —JEROME ANING