FDA forms task force to regulate traditional, herbal medicines

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created a task force in a bid to regulate the sale of traditional and herbal medicines or supplements in the country. 

FDA spokesperson Pamela Sevilla said that FDA Director General Samuel Zacate ordered the creation of the “Task Force Thompson” amid the proliferation of these products being sold in the market.

“Kamakailan lamang po, sa directive ni Director General Samuel Zacate, nagkaroon siya ng direktiba sa aming opisina na magkaroon ng polisiya tungkol sa traditional medicines and herbal medicines,” Sevilla said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview. 

(Recently, Director General Samuel Zacate directed our office to issue a policy regarding the traditional medicines and herbal medicines.) 

“Itong herbal medicines, tinitignan namin through international standards, kung talagang kakayaning pumasok sa regulasyon sa ngayon ng FDA,” she added. 

(We are looking at international standards if these herbal medicines could really pass the current regulation of the FDA.) 

Currently, Sevilla said, the FDA only accepts drug products that have therapeutic claims. If the product has no therapeutic claims, the agency checks if it has nutritional or health claims.

“Nakita namin kung paano solusyunan, kung paano ang tamang daan, kung paano talaga siya mare-regulate dito sa bansa,” she said. 

(We’ve seen how we could solve this, how we could properly regulate the traditional and herbal medicines in the country.) 

Earlier this year, four plant-based supplements passed extensive clinical trials conducted by the Institute of Herbal Medicine-National Institute of Health of UP Manila, signaling another milestone in drug development in the country.

These clinical tests have proven that new drugs can be derived from Ulasimang Bato, Yerba Buena, Ampalaya, and Tsaang Gubat.

Ulasimang Bato can be used as a treatment for elevated levels of uric acid, while Yerba Buena can be used as an analgesic to relieve body pains.  

Ampalaya is effective in lowering the sugar level of diabetics, and Tsaang Gubat can be anti-colic and be used for the relief of loose bowel movement and gallstones.

Clinical trials and various phases of testing to prove the safety and efficacy of the four new drugs took seven to 10 years. Once approved by the FDA, the new drugs are expected to offer affordable alternatives to the public.—AOL, GMA Integrated News