5 PH drug firms heed gov’t call to make anti-TB drugs

Five local pharmaceutical companies have agreed to produce antituberculosis (TB) medicines following President Marcos’ call for local companies to produce homegrown medications to combat the disease.

This was announced during the President’s meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council’s (PSAC) Health Sector Group in Malacañang on Thursday.

In a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office, lead for the PSAC health-care sector Paolo Borromeo said the five drug manufacturers also agreed to participate in bids to be conducted by the Department of Health (DOH).

“We are happy to say that five local drug manufacturers signed up to participate in the production of anti-TB medicines, and to participate in national bids to be conducted by the DOH,” said Borromeo, who is president of Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc.

“I believe there was a bid last November and we are waiting for the results,” he added.

He said the PSAC and the DOH have a collaboration on combating tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus through the manufacture of medicines here.

Borromeo noted in previous years, many local pharmaceutical companies did not join bids in the production of antituberculosis medications.

He added because of the President’s directive in 2022 to focus on fighting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis infections, the five still unnamed drug manufacturers have committed to produce the antituberculosis medicines.

Borromeo said the PSAC and the DOH were pursuing similar initiatives to encourage local production of HIV medications by Philippine pharmaceutical companies as “those are the two administration priorities.”

Meanwhile, the PSAC also thanked the Food and Drugs Administration’s support for a proposed green-lane program especially for antituberculosis and HIV medicines.

Borromeo said the PSAC will assist local drug companies that will produce these medications in the country, facilitate the continued implementation of the green-lane program and ensure a consistent preference for domestic or local bidders.