PRESS RELEASE
14 February 2008
The consumer group, Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network (3CPNet) urges the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) and Bureau of Food and Drug (BFAD) not to enter into settlement with Pfizer as the pre-trial hearing of the case that Pfizer filed against them resumes today.
“Pfizer has no legal and moral grounds to stand on in this case. A settlement with Pfizer rewards its bullying tactics and shortchanges the consumers of essential medicines,” said Edeliza Hernandez, Co-convenor of 3CPNet.
Members of the consumer group attended the pre-trial hearing today to express their support to the government agencies as the case dragged on for the past two years, even surpassing the expiration of Pfizer’s patent on the anti-hypertension drug, Norvasc last June 2007.
Pfizer filed the lawsuit against the PITC and BFAD for importing cheaper versions of Norvasc from Pakistan in 2005 and allegedly violating the patent rights of Pfizer in the Philippines. The government issued a regulatory approval to allow the entry of a cheaper version of Norvasc that costs almost 90% less.
Norvasc is a maintenance medicine that has to be taken once a day for the rest of the patient’s life. When PITC bought Norvasc in Pakistan, Pfizer sells the same brand locally at P44.75 for every 5 mg tablet and P74.50 for a 10 mg tablet. The same product was reportedly sold by Pfizer in India under the brand name Amlogard™ at the peso equivalent of P6.00 per 5 mg tablet and P9.00 per 10 mg tablet.
“The government has rightly upheld public health and Pfizer has no business suing the BFAD and PITC. Settlement of the case will pave the way for other harassment acts that the pharmaceutical companies will employ if their profit interests are endangered by public health interests,” said Hernandez.
On 14 July 2000, former DOH Secretary, Alberto G. Romualdez, Jr. issued Administrative Order No. 85 [“AO 85”] (s. 2000) on the premise that the Philippines has one of the highest drug prices in the ASEAN region. The order cited the key strategy to lower drug prices is the importation of finished drug products from other countries where these drugs are cheaper than in the Philippines, subject to registration of these drugs with the BFAD prior to sale in the market.
