Arta to ease up processes for local vaccine makers

THE Anti-red Tape Authority (Arta) vowed it will help in easing the process of securing necessary permits for the local vaccine manufacturers amid the recent call of President Duterte to establish a “green lane” for them.

Arta Director General Jeremiah B. Belgica said in an online briefing over the weekend that the agency will extend support to vaccine manufacturers given the urgency in producing Covid-19 doses.

Arta will continue to monitor the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies tasked with clearing the vaccine manufacturer-applicants for production, Belgica said.

In addition to the vaccine, the Arta official said the agency will also monitor the process in securing permits for important drugs and medicine.

“At hindi naman kaila sa marami sa atin na ang [FDA] ay isa sa mga prayoridad na ahensiya na tinututukan talaga ng [Arta], lalo na sa oras ng pandemya; ang sabi nga natin ang red tape ay nakamamatay kaya kinakailangan talagang magtulung-tulong tayo para pabilisin ang proseso (Everybody knows that Arta gives focus on FDA processes, especially during this pandemic, as red tape can kill; this is why we should come together in speeding up the process),” Belgica said.

Belgica said Arta is in talks with pharmaceutical companies as well to identify potential bottlenecks in the processes of FDA.

Last week, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said that United Laboratories Inc. (Unilab) confirmed its commitment to produce Covid-19 doses last April 7.

“If partnership with technology partner is concluded by 2022, a form, fill and finish plant can be operational by 2023,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said in a recent presentation.

Unilab also plans to export its products to other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) region, DTI added.

Glovax Biotech earlier announced its partnership with Korean vaccine manufacturer Eubiologics to produce Eucorvac-19 in the country. It has an annual capacity of 100 million doses and can allocate 40 million to the Philippines.

Lopez said the proposed location of the P7.5-billion Glovax facility is in Clark, Pampanga, with start of operations eyed by October 2022.

The DTI official said that IP Biotech and IG Biotech also expressed interest in producing and distributing Covid-19 vaccines, in addition to influenza multivalent vaccines and pneumococcal polyvalent vaccines.

These firms will enter into a memorandum of understanding with the National Development Co. and Board of Investments for support and investment facilitation.

Lastly, Lopez said DTI is in talks with Dr. Zen Biotech Inc. to produce second-generation recombinant vaccine for Covid-19, monoclonal antibodies and general injectables. Its project costs amount to $20 million for phase 1 and another $20 million for phase 2.