FDA, inatasan na pag-aralan ang pagtatayo ng pharma-zones
FDA, inatasan na pag-aralan ang pagtatayo ng pharma-zones;
Local at foreign investors, hinihikayat na mamuhunan sa pharmaceutical sector ng bansa
Local at foreign investors, hinihikayat na mamuhunan sa pharmaceutical sector ng bansa
Transcript
00:00 President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the FDA to study the construction of pharmazones
00:08 or pharmaceutical zones that will help to lower the price of medicines in the market.
00:13 Alan Francisco with the report.
00:16 Cheap medicines to the public.
00:21 This is the target administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
00:25 That's why, in the sectoral meeting earlier, President Marcos ordered the health officials to study
00:31 the construction of pharmazones or pharmaceutical economic zones.
00:35 Pharmazones are expected to develop and sell the most common generic drugs
00:42 to lower the price of these in the market, like in India.
00:45 It will give more drug accessible to those selected three pharmazones by the PAZA.
00:52 So, it will have a role, the FDA will have a role, so that when a drug enters,
00:58 there will be direct testing, direct registration, so that there will be a fast and large coverage.
01:06 Especially those essential medicines, like for example the generic drug and antibiotics
01:12 that has been approved by the stringent regulatory authority of the different countries.
01:17 To make this happen, the government is asking the locals and foreigners living in the pharmaceutical sector of the country,
01:24 like the ecozones that are monitored and tested by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority or PESA,
01:30 where the investors can get tax and other financial incentives to lower the price of its manufacturing.
01:38 As of now, in the FDA, we already had formulated several policies to help our stakeholders.
01:48 And one of that is the Bible of the drug application process, which is the administrative order number 67.
01:55 It will pave the way for the application per category, so that the stakeholders,
02:02 the local drug manufacturers and the drug importers will have the proper way of how to register their products.
02:08 In this plan, many are expecting cheap generic drugs.
02:12 The FDA also raised the budget to make the drug application process as fast as possible through the one-stop shop.
02:21 Meaning, from 120 days, the plan is to make the review and approval process of the application for generic drugs to 45 days.
02:31 The project of our resident is very good because if there are three, it will give a more influx of essential and generic drugs.
02:41 As of now, there are three main, but the other one is I think the nuclear.
02:47 But the two has yet to be determined by the PESA itself because the FDA cannot determine it.
02:53 We're just there to streamline the process.
02:56 But the FDA clarified that the number of requirements in the process cannot be reduced.
03:02 Meanwhile, the President also ordered the FDA and the Agriculture Department to focus on the concerns
03:08 to speed up the approval of drugs or vaccines against avian and African swine flu.
03:14 We released media announcements encouraging all possible importers to apply for these veterinary vaccines.
03:28 So we have been encouraging them.
03:30 And DG Sakati already mentioned that we established a TF for us to be ready once they will apply for a registration.
03:41 Alan Francisco for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.