PHAP report offers private sector pre-pandemic insights

By Lee C. Chipongian

The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) unveiled its “The Power of Innovation” report on Wednesday, Nov. 22, detailing the knowledge and perspectives gained by the private sector after the Covid-19 global pandemic.

The report highlights the contributions of the Philippine pharmaceutical industry in addressing Covid-19, especially at the height of the pandemic in 2020, and the PHAP’s role in ensuring the “accessibility of essential supplies such as testing kits, vaccines, and antiviral treatments.”

It noted efforts on vaccinations and mass immunizations, delivering millions of Covid-19 vaccines to the country.

As of June 2022, 245.54 million Covid-19 vaccines were delivered by PHAP; 93.67 million vaccines delivered were from Pfizer; 56.11 million from Sinovac, 38.85 million from AstraZeneca; 33.08 million from Moderna; 12.73 million from Johnson & Johnson; 10 million from Gamaleya; and 1.1 million from Sinopharm.

The report also emphasized the role of PHAP and its member companies in maintaining the pharmaceutical supply chain to safeguard public health.

Alongside this were the provision of diagnostic kits such as antigen testing, as well as anti-bacterial treatments and clinically-proven anti-Covid drugs.

PHAP President Diana Edralin said that “capturing these insights ensures that the knowledge gained from our experiences can serve as a valuable resource for current and future challenges as we fully navigate our way out of the impact of the pandemic.”

“The ultimate power of innovation lies in its ability to save and improve lives so that the people can contribute to social and economic progress,” she added.

The report also highlighted the “importance of Investments in health and economic development,” saying the pandemic has “necessitated a recalibration of the discourse around the connection of health and economic well-being.”

The pharmaceutical industry itself was valued at P238 billion as of June 2022, with a 2.15 times multiplier effect in terms of business impact on other industries.

PHAP has also invested in advancing medical research with over 154 completed and ongoing clinical trials in the past two years.

Companies have also introduced 575 novel drugs over the last five years including cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, oncology, and other critical health segments.

All these achievements were done through the cooperation between PHAP members and stakeholders in various fields, which are acknowledged and detailed in the report.

“The Power of Innovation is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the Philippines in the face of adversity. It serves as a poignant reminder that innovation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to health are powerful tools that can help us prepare for the next pandemic and build resilient healthcare systems as no one sector can do it alone,” said PHAP Executive Director Teodoro B. Padilla.

PHAP said it will focus its efforts on four key areas post-pandemic, namely universal healthcare, sharing of best practices with regulatory bodies for world-class Healthcare systems, establishing the Philippines as a “Center of Excellence in Clinical Research” for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and advance knowledge and technology to augment government capacity.

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa graced the PHAP launch.

Video messages of support were also given by Senate Committee on Health Chairman Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go; House Committee on Health Chairman Rep. Ciriaco B. Gato, Jr.; and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong among others.