Philippines, US seek partnership in vaccine manufacturing, distribution

The Philippines and the United States are seeking possible cooperation in manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the country in a bid to speed up local access to the crucial jabs against the deadly viral infection, Manila's envoy to Washington said.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, in a statement Saturday, said the COVID-19 pandemic and the limited global supply of vaccines "have magnified the importance of building domestic capacity that would ensure some degree of vaccine self-reliance critical to prepare countries to deal with future pandemics.”

Under the proposal discussed in a forum between Philippine and US officials last week, both sides would seek "suitable investment partners" to set up manufacturing hubs in the country.

Romualdez, along with officials of the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), US International Development Finance Corp. (DFC), and key Philippine agencies that include the Board of Investments (BOI), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and representatives from the healthcare and logistics industries, attended the forum.

During the discussion, the Philippines highlighted vaccine development and manufacturing roadmap and international cooperation on technology transfer, capacity-building, and financing. 

The Philippines, with a sluggish vaccination program amid global shortage of the crucial shots, has one of the highest COVID-19 infections in the region. 

DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara said that in the medium term, the DOST Pharma Center will be reinstituted as “a way to bridge the gap between the academe and the industry for pharma development."

It also intends to establish a Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines through a law, Guevara said.

Verinda Fike, USTDA Regional Director for the Indo-Pacific, said the Philippines has grown to be the agency’s “most active portfolio in Southeast Asia,” citing the support extended by the US Embassy in furthering their efforts. 

"We have so much demand that we are really working closely with the Philippine government currently to set up an office at the US Embassy in Manila, hopefully by the end of this year," Fike said.

Since May last year, Nafisa Jiwani, DFC Managing Director for Health Initiatives, said the agency is considering tapping the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical health challenges facing the developing world.

The DFC's Global Health and Prosperity Initiative encourages proposals from the private sector entities that are seeking the agency's support specifically in health-related investments in developing countries. 

“Through the initiative, our goal is to mobilize the private sector investment to support global health resilience worldwide. The agency is seeking to invest between $5 million and $500 million per eligible project through our agency’s full range of financial tools, and our goal in the next three years is to commit up to $2 billion across eligible projects,” Jiwani said.

Meanwhile, Manuel V. Pangilinan-led infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) disclosed it is interested to venture in the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines locally.

MPIC chair Pangilinan on Friday told stockholders that the company had a discussion with local vaccine distribution firm Glovax Biotech Corp. regarding the latter’s plan to build a COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing plant in the country. 

DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research Development executive director Jaime Montoya in March said at least four local companies have expressed interest in partnering  with foreign pharmaceutical companies to produce COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

Vaccine donation

Apart from the planned local vaccine production, Romualdez said the Philippines will be one of the recipients of Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines to be donated by the US to the world.

Washington said it has committed to donate 80 million free doses for lower-income countries.

"I was informed by the White House that the Philippines is among those who will receive the vaccines and it will be delivered even earlier, maybe around June,” he said in a radio interview. —KG, GMA News