Gov’t wants more Indian firms to produce cheaper medicines in PH

FILE: Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque (PCOO Photo)

MANILA — The Philippines wants to further strengthen cooperation with India’s pharmaceutical industry with more Indian pharmaceutical companies producing affordable medicines in the country, two top government officials said Thursday.

In a press briefing at the sidelines of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said this was among the major issues discussed during the bilateral meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as in the meetings between the respective trade officials of the two countries.

Roque said that during the one-hour meeting between Duterte and Modi on Wednesday night, the two leaders agreed on expanding bilateral ties on all fronts with the Philippine President calling, in general terms, for further cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry.

“In the bilateral (meeting) itself, it was mentioned that an area of cooperation that the Philippines wants to prioritize together is the business outsourcing,” he said.

“Of course, there was an indication that we want Indian companies to invest in the pharmaceutical industry in the Philippines. And we want to, of course, learn from the experience of India on how they produce cheaper medicines,” Roque said.

Meanwhile, Lopez said that in line with what President Duterte intends to achieve in his visit to India, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has met with the Pharmaceutical Export Council of India to strengthen the trade on pharmaceuticals with focus on key medicines that will be needed especially by the poor.

These include anti-hypertensive, anti-cholesterol, anti-bacterial, antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs, among others.

“In particular, special emphasis were given to ensure that Filipinos will have better, easier access to affordable quality drugs. And that is what we want to have, that these kinds of medicines at affordable prices to be accessible to many Filipinos,” Lopez said.

Related to the leaders’ bilateral and trade meetings, the DTI chief said that the Philippine government also emphasized the need for more Indian pharmaceutical companies to start manufacturing in the Philippines.

While four Indian pharmaceutical companies are already operating in the country, Lopez said Manila wants more Indian firms to invest in the pharmaceutical industry.

“They can make the Philippines as their manufacturing hub for medicines that they will supply to the Philippines or making it as a manufacturing hub to export also to their other export markets,” he said.

Pharmaceuticals are the second biggest Philippine import from India and Indian pharmaceuticals are the biggest exporters of medicines to the United States and the European Union.

“So what we are just saying is that we would like to encourage more sourcing of affordable medicines from more sources here in India. But at the same time, we are now encouraging them to look into manufacturing so that we don’t just rely on importation,” Lopez said.