ROXAS: FILIPINOS AMONG THOSE AT RISK OF DIABETES
WORLD DIABETES DAY HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR QUALITY AFFORDABLE DRUGS

Senator Mar Roxas warned the public over the mounting incidence of diabetes worldwide and reports that Filipinos will not be spared from this.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce and principal author in the 13th Congress and sponsor of the Quality and Affordable Medicines bill urged the government to intensify its drive to ensure wider access to diabetes treatment to the public.

"Diabetes shows no signs of diminishing, with worldwide incidence seen to rise from 240 million people at present to 400 million by 2020. This is an increase from 4% of the 6-billion population at present to 5% of an estimated 8-billion population in 2020. We have to act as early as now to address this before it reaches epidemic levels, through whatever means we have available," he said, in light of World Diabetes Day which was celebrated this week.

There are a total of 12 million people in the Philippines with diabetes, half of who are unaware of their affliction. This is roughly 14% of the country's population of 88 million. Roxas said there should be a national initiative to assess the lifestyle of Filipinos and how to improve it through proper education and information dissemination. Apart from this, he said the availability of treatment for diabetics was necessary.

"There is treatment available for diabetics that would go a long way to lessening the risk to those afflicted, and we have to make sure that Juan de la Cruz can afford such medicines," he said. He said Senate Bill No. 1658, passed by the Senate on third reading last November 5, allows the parallel importation of affordable patented medicines from other countries.

He noted how a common maintenance drug for diabetes, Daonil, costs P9.86 locally for a 5-mg tablet, which is taken twice a day, while the same tablet however could be bought from India for less than one peso. Another diabetes treatment drug, Diamicron, which is taken twice a day, costs P11 locally for a 30-mg tablet but can be bought for P5 from Pakistan and P7.57 from India, or up to P12 savings in a day.

Aside from allowing parallel importation through amendments to the Intellectual Property Code, SB 1658 also seeks the following:

� Other amendments to the IPC to support the local generics industry in producing quality affordable medicines;

� Adopting the "early working" principle to allow generics companies to start the development of generic drugs prior to the expiration of existing patents;

� Prohibiting the extension of patents solely on grounds of "new use" for a drug discovered by the drug's patent owner;

� Allowing the Bureau of Food and Drugs to retain its income from fees and other charges so it could upgrade its facilities and beef-up its human resources; and

� Reiterating the power of the President under the Price Act to impose drug price ceilings in times of calamity, public health emergencies, and other events that cause artificial and unreasonable price hikes.