American scientist urges Filipino experts to go into ‘biopharming’

A leading expert in plant pharmaceuticals from the US yesterday said the Philippines has the potential of making it big in commercializing plant-made pharmaceuticals or biopharming and said investors should look into the prospects of the new technology like investing in malls and other profitable business.

Dr. Henry Miller, a former director of the US Food and Drugs Administration, said the Philippines has experts both inside and outside the government who know how to use the technology which he said can help spur economic growth.

A research fellow at the Hoover Institution, Miller said if some people in the Philippines could invest money to construct giant malls, they should also look into the potential profit of venturing into biopharming.

He estimated that biopharming industry, from its "zero" status 30 years ago is now a $20-million industry today.

"Biopharming now is at a stage where there are perhaps two dozens of companies around the world that have products in clinical trials and many other products that are in pre-clinical development. I think what’s encouraging is that there is a large number of companies, a large number of platforms that host plants producing these pharmaceuticals," he said.

Miller, who is in the country for a series of talks with government officials and experts in the field of biotechnology concerning key scientific, commercial and regulatory issues associated with biopharming, said Filipino investors should grab the opportunity of having experts in the field of biotechnology who intensively conduct research and development for various biotech products.

One such product that has commercial potential is the edible vaccine of Dr. Nina Gloriani Barzaga, a research faculty of the College of Public Health of the University of the Philippines — Manila, Miller said. The edible vaccine in banana and tomato is currently in the pipeline and scientists are seeking a P50 to P100-million funding to make the edible vaccine available in 7 to 10 years.

Miller praised the presentation of Dr. Barzaga, which he described as "superb" and "world-class scientific talk."

Barzaga, principal investigator of several edible vaccine projects for rabies, typhoid fever and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome-causing HIV, was invited as guest during one of Miller’s speaking engagement held at the Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Tuesday, where the American scientist discussed the US experience in development of pharmaceuticals, regulations, status of approvals and future prospects.

The seminar, entitled "Public Seminar on Next-Generation GM Crops: Status and Prospects" was attended by officials from the Department of Agricutlure (DA), as well as local scientists both from the government and the academe who are involved in research and development of various biotech crops.

"I think what is required here aside from the scientific and agronomic expertise, is entrepreneurial drug and financing to move the Philippines along the commercial pathway but that can be provided in cooperation with other nations and with companies in other nations," he said.

‘Don’t ratify Cartagena Protocol’

Miller, during the seminar warned against over-regulation and cautioned the Philippine government from ratifying the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety.

The Cartagena Protocol, he said, is "unscientific" and not "risk-based."

He said the Philippines has its own biosafety policy regulation that guarantees the safe release of biotech crops for commercial production and planting.

"These applications of the new biotechnology: gene-splicing really are only an extension for refinement of the kind of genetic improvement that has been done for a long time. In rice, corn, barley, oath and in wheat, most recently. If regulators are capable of regulating these products modified by conventional techniques, there’s nothing magic or unique about the new technology. The new technology is more precise and predictable so it is easier to regulate," he said.

The Philippines has its own guidelines in Administrative Order 8, which guarantees the safe release of genetically modified organisms into the environment.

Dr. Saturnina Halos, head of the Biotechnology Advisory Team of the Department of Agriculture who presented AO 8 during a round table discussion said however that though the Philippines has one of the most stringent biosafety policies in the world, it is still leading its neighboring countries in Southeast Asia in terms of research and development.

She said the Philippines is also not far behind in terms of agricultural modernization, having been actively taking part in technology transfer of modern biotechnology and its application in agriculture without prejudice to risk-based assessment of its products and by-products.