De Castro wants public disclosure from Pfizer

Vice President Noli De Castro challenged yesterday foreign drug manufacturer Pfizer to be transparent and publicly disclose why it sells its anti-hypertensive drug Norvask at a much higher cost.

De Castro aired to the challenge during his weekly radio program "Para Sa Iyo Bayan" and in an interview with Pfizer’s corporate affairs head Cathy Salceda Ileto on the high cost of the anti-hypertensive Norvask.

"Hinahamon natin sila na maging transparent kung paano umabot sa ganong presyo para hindi magduda sa ginagastos ng kumpanyang Pfizer," De Castro said.

The Vice President was citing a public service announcement of local drug manufacturer Unilab that came out in the newspapers comparing the prices of their anti-hypertensive Amvask against Pfizer’s Norvask.

Unilab’s suggested retail price for Amvask is P17.50 for each capsule while Norvask is being sold at P44.75 for each capsule.

De Castro raised concern over the high cost of the medicine which could also be triggered by advertising cost, travel and seminars of doctors shouldered by Pfizer.

"Maglabas ng gastos ang Pfizer para makita ng taong-bayan ang binabayad nila sa doctors at seminars at ilagay nila ito para maging transparent kung bakit mas mahal sa Pilipinas ang gamot na ito kaysa sa India at Pakistan," he said.

For her part, Ileto assured De Castro’s concern on the cost of Norvask at drugstores will be relayed to the company.

"In the interest of transparency sasabihin po namin," Ileto said.

She explained the Pfizer has a "Sulit Card" program for patients prescribed with Norvask by their doctors.

The program she said, encourages patients to see their doctors for check up and demand from the doctors to be given the card to avail of a 50 percent discount for the purchase of Norvask.

"The patients should demand. We can’t advertise the Sulit Card program because we’re not allowed by BFAD. (Bureau of Food and Drugs). There’s regulation for prescription drugs at hindi kami pwede dumiretso sa consumers," she said.

Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) chairman Roberto Pagdanganan said around two million Filipinos are suffering from hypertension and most are taking anti-hypertensive drugs as maintenance. He also cited a report that 32 out of 100 Filipinos die from cardio vascular diseases, but less than 10 percent are adequately taking the medicine because of high cost. Pagdanganan said Norvask sale reached P1.2 billion from August 2005 to Sept. 2006. He said the same drug is being sold in Pakistan and India at a much cheaper price.

"Sa Pakistan P10 ang Norvask and in India P6 so we got 40 sample tablets and these were analyzed by the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) at parehong pareho pala ang active ingredients and effects," Pagdangangan said.