Cease and desist order issued vs. unregistered Fabunan drug

FILE: Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire in a press briefing Monday (Feb. 17, 2020). (PNA photo by Ma. Teresa Montemayor)

MANILA – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a cease and desist order against the unregistered Fabunan antiviral injections which are considered as cure for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), an official of the Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday.

“They still have not applied for CPR (certificate of product registration). They were already issued a cease and desist order by FDA, case buildup is being done already,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a text message to reporters.

Vergeire added that the DOH is already studying cases related to the drug as social media posts showing its use in a vaccine drive in Zambales circulated anew.

“We are studying the case already. FDA has jurisdiction when it comes to the unregistered drug or vaccine, and PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) for the practice of medicine,” she said.

On April 22, the palace urged the FDA to study the effectiveness of the Fabunan antiviral injection in curing patients with Covid-19.

Earlier, a video about the drug circulated on social media.

The video conveyed that Fabunan is a patented antiviral drug against dengue developed by Washington-based Filipino doctor Ruben Fabunan and that it is an “approved” drug and has been “proven to be used to treat Covid-19”.

The FDA warned the public that no drug and vaccine has been licensed “specifically for use in Covid-19 treatment”.