Philippines seeks other sources of trial COVID-19 drugs as India cases surge

The Philippines is seeking elsewhere other sources of investigational drugs used on COVID-19 patients as one of its biggest suppliers, India, battles a surge in infections, a health official said Thursday.

Interviewed on Super Radyo dzBB, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the National Task Force Against COVID-19 is leading efforts to find other suppliers of tocilizumab and remdesivir.

“So ngayon, nakikipag-usap tayo sa major supplier sa Switzerland ng tocilizumab (So now, we are talking to a major supplier of tocilizumab in Switzerland),” she said.

“[As for remdesivir], we have spoken to all of the suppliers here in the country at nakikipag-usap din po tayo dahil nga po naputol ‘yung major supplier natin for this drug” (We are negotiating because the supply from our major supplier has been cut), she added.

According to Vergeire, India “had been one of the major sources of our drugs, especially for these investigational drugs.”

Earlier, the Department of Health said the delivery of coronavirus vaccines from India could face delays due to the spike in cases there. 

Eight million doses of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin are expected by the end of May while another 30 million doses of the Novavax jab will be delivered later this year. 

The Philippines has imposed a temporary ban on travelers from India to prevent the entry of a “double mutant” coronavirus variant first detected there.

Also, the World Health Organization said the B.1.617 had been found in at least 17 countries.

Earlier, Vergeire said this variant has not yet been detected locally.  —LBG, GMA News