High blood over low prices

The Philippine International Trade Corp.’s (PITC) announcement last week that it will stop the importation of Pfizer’s hypertension drug Norvasc was justified by the recent launch of United Laboratories’ (Unilab) own version of a hypertension drug named Amvasc. While the said drugs comprise but two among the 200 hypertensive drugs available in the market today, Spybiz obtained information which seemed to indicate that Norvasc, available in 88 countries, has had over 400,000 patients involved in studies with 800 clinical trials conducted over a period of 15 years – compared to Amvasc which reportedly had 18 patients involved in its study, one clinical trial over a period of three years, and is available only in South Korea. This may have been the reason why the Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD) had officially ruled that Norvasc and Amvasc should not be considered as substitutes since clinical evidence on the former is not applicable to the latter. Of course, it still boils down to the patients and their pockets on which brand to purchase, which is rather unfortunate because not a lot of people know that Pfizer since 2004 has already made Norvasc available to patients afflicted with hypertension and agina at a big discount through a "Sulit Card" program. The discount, sources said, makes the Pfizer drug just P5 more than the other medication. Too bad both the PHAP and the Advertising Board (AdBoard) prevent pharmaceutical companies from directly informing the public of these low-price support activities – which could definitely lower the blood pressure of patients who complain about high drug prices.

Fund to boost fisheries, agri sectors

Farmers and fishermen are closely looking at the Senate’s action on House Bill 3740 which would extend the utilization period of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) by 10 more years or through 2015. According to the bill’s author, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte, agriculture has been a forceful driver of economic growth as well as employment. While the agriculture sector accounts for up to one third of national economic output in other countries, it only accounts for just one fifth in the Philippines, the solon said, stressing that the sector has vast potentials and would need all the support it could get. The ACEF generated P5.8 billion in tariff collections from 1994 to 2004, which were used to build irrigation systems, market access roads and post-harvest facilities. According to Villafuerte, HB 3740 would assure greater support for micro and small and medium-scale farm enterprises, and will include aid not only to farm and fisheries cooperatives but young entrepreneurs looking to build new agricultural enterprises.

A teary issue

News that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Finance (DOF) are working overtime to investigate suspected illegal importers and exporters of onions could bring tears of relief to the eyes of legit businessmen. The BIR said it will determine the possibility of filing tax evasion and other criminal charges against the onion bandits, following allegations from farmers’ groups that government is not doing anything to curb illegal activities which are slowly killing the onion industry in the country. Preliminary reports from BIR’s revenue offices in several areas including Tondo, Binondo, Mandaluyong, Caloocan, Pasig, Parañaque and Bulacan indicate that a number of identified onion importers and exporters failed to file business tax returns as far back as four years ago. Several were not registered with the BIR, and some were found to be engaged in other business such as quarrying and sales of motor vehicle parts. Aside from onions, the DOF is also investigating illegal importation of hog meat and vegetables reportedly from China.

Smoking center

Spybiz informants reported that employees from a call center located near an all-girls’ school in Quezon City are turning the area into a huge garbage dump. The informants said these employees sit on the steps of the building during their cigarette breaks and throw cigarette butts, candy wrappers, food wraps and other trash everywhere except the trash bins in front of the building. When someone approached the guard to complain about all the litter, the guard just shrugged his shoulders and replied it was okay since a janitor would clean up all the strewn garbage anyway. Perhaps these call center employees should have some sense kicked into their butts, complainants said.

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