DOH: Fabunan may be held liable for use of unregistered drug vs. COVID-19

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday warned that persons who would use the unregistered Fabunan Antiviral Injections supposedly against COVID-19 could face liability.

“It’s unregistered and base sa ating batas, yung ating batas ng FDA (Food and Drug Administration), sinasabi dun na kapag ikaw ay gumamit ng isang gamot na hindi rehistrado at ibinigay mo yan sa ating kababayan ikaw ay may liability dahil you are using unregistered drug,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual press briefing.

Vergeire said that drugs that have not yet passed clinical trials and have not been registered with the FDA could not be administered on persons.

“Itong Fabunan ang sinasabi na bakuna ito, hindi gamot, na sinasaksak sa pasyente, so amin pong pinapaalalahanan na mag-apply na lang sa FDA para maintindihan na nga natin yung sinasabi,”  she said when asked about the status of the supposed antiviral injection.

The Health official said the FDA or the DOH could not take any action on the product since its manufacturers have yet to apply before the FDA.

“Ngunit ang ating babala para sa kanila at sa ating kababayan na gustong sumubok ng mga bagong gamot kailangan itong iparehistro sa FDA, hindi nila ito pwedeng gamitin sa ating kababayan na walang pag-aaral na ginawa, para masabi kung ito ay tama o ito ay mali sa ating mga kababayan,” Vergeire said.

“Kailangan ho nilang iparehistro talaga yan, para ma-check natin, wag gamitin kung hindi rehistrado,” she added.

Earlier, the FDA also said the Fabunan Antiviral Injections are still unregistered and could not be sold to the public.

In a Facebook post on March 31, the Fabunan Medical Clinic said its antiviral injection is not commercially sold.

The injection, it said, is "used exclusively by the Fabunan Medical Clinic and its doctors, in the practice of their profession." It added that they have no sales managers. —LDF, GMA News