ILOILO City – The city government plans to procure an oral anti-viral drug against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) early next year, according to Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The city allotted P5 million in its 2022 budget for the pills’ procurement.
It was not clear yet, however, what brand of COVID pill the city government would procure.
Earlier, the city of Roxas was granted with a compassionate special permit (CSP) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the procurement of Molnupiravir, the first oral anti-viral drug clinically proven to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death due to COVID-19.
This made the city the first local government unit outside the National Capital Region (NCR) to secure such.
“(T)he Food and Drug Administration interposes no objection to the proposed importation of the Molnupiravir 200mg (milligram) capsule,” said FDA Director IV Center for Drug Regulation and Research, Jesusa Joyce Cirunay in a letter to city health officer, Dr. Lory Cahilog dated Nov. 26.
Roxas City’s Mayor Ronnie Dadivas represented the city government-run Temporary Treatment and Management Facility (TTMF) in the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the supplier of the anti-COVID-19 oral drug.
Molnupiravir was developed by the pharmaceutical companies Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck, Sharp and Dohme. It was originally developed to treat flu.
Since it is an oral drug, it can be taken at home, whereas other treatments are taken intravenously or injected by a healthcare professional.
In a statement, the Department of Health (DOH) said FDA is still studying the documents for Molnupiravir for them to be given the emergency use authorization. While doing that, they have applied for CSP.
Data from DOH showed 89 hospitals in the country were using Molnupiravir, including Qualimed Hospitals and five pharmaceutical companies.
The United Kingdom was the first country to approve the use of the pill./PN
