Development of pharmaceutical industry lauded by PHAP

MANILA, Philippines — The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) has expressed support for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s agenda to promote the development and growth of the biopharmaceuticals sector in the country.

In a statement yesterday, the PHAP said it is confident that the Philippines could position itself as a regional hub for biopharmaceutical innovation under Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual’s leadership of the DTI.

“We share in the vision of the DTI to establish a vibrant biopharmaceutical industry. We are eager to share our expertise to accelerate the attainment of this goal for us to better prepare for and respond to current and future emergencies while at the same time sparking economic activities. We commit to partner with the DTI to reap the health, scientific, and economic benefits that come with R&D investments,”PHAP executive director Teodoro Padilla said.

The group explained that biopharmaceutical research and development is a long, complex and expensive process composed of various stages with the ultimate goal of finding safe and efficacious diagnostics, vaccines and medicines.

“The Philippines can be part of the actual research and development process by using its various stages as our entry point. The country is currently an active participant in the conduct of clinical trials, and we are eager to partner to see more of these R&D activities in the Philippines. When we participate in global clinical trials, we are creating early access to innovation, bringing in major investments, and building the scientific capacity of fellow Filipinos to pursue pharmaceutical R&D,” said Diana Edralin, PHAP president and Roche Philippines general manager.

The Philippines earlier ranked third in the number of clinical trials conducted in Southeast Asia following Thailand and Singapore.

In his speech at the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) general membership meeting last week, Pascual identified the health and life sciences (HLS) industry cluster as among the three export industry clusters that the country will prioritize. This covers biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare services.

“With a health crisis at the root of the current global economic distress, the Health and Life Science (HLS) cluster plays a strategic security role, opening income-generating opportunities in all countries, including the Philippines. Over the next decade, manufacturing medicines faster and cheaper will continue to be the mantra of multinational companies. The sector will also witness smaller, innovative, more agile companies taking a more critical role in bringing medicines to market,”Pascual said.

He said the nascent nature of life sciences and the biotechnology ecosystem in the Philippines is a significant constraint to the growth of the biopharmaceutical sector.

“However, as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare services move to be more integrated, it could also facilitate the emergence of an HLS cluster in the Philippines,”he said.

Pascual said the DTI would encourage multinational pharmaceutical companies operating domestically to outsource their contract manufacturing to local players.

PHAP, which represents the research-based medicines and vaccines sector in the country, is the DTI’s designated lead in the Industry Strengthening Working Group created to develop and realize the Integrated Roadmap of the Philippine Pharmaceutical Industry.

“We commend DTI Secretary Pascual for prioritizing health and life sciences development. Filipinos are experts in the medical field, and are proficient in the use of the English language. We will work with the DTI and related agencies for us to build capacity and foster an environment conducive to innovation to make available life-saving biopharmaceuticals for Filipinos and even to people in neighboring countries in the long term,”PHAP chairman emeritus Beaver Tamesis said.

PHAP is keen to continue working with the DTI to pursue pandemic recovery and foster pharmaceutical security for an uninterrupted supply of life-saving medicines, vaccines and diagnostics amid global demand or political instability in other regions.

“We have learned several lessons from the pandemic that could help enhance the supply chain. We are determined to learn from these lessons as we continue to face the uncertainties being brought by COVID-19, and as we prepare for new global health and political developments. Foremost is the importance of close partnerships with the government because we recognize from the outset that no one sector can do it alone,” PHAP vice president Jannette Jakosalem said.

PHAP said its members closely collaborated with the government at the height of the pandemic, particularly in monitoring the supply of needed medicines, and even chartered flights to make these life-saving innovations available to Filipino patients amid global demand and strict lockdowns.