The Iloilo City government is planning to procure oral anti-viral drug against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

According to Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, the city government is eyeing to purchase anti-COVID oral pill early next year, adding it has allotted P5 million in its 2022 budget for the procurement of the COVID pill.

It is not clear yet, however, what brand of COVID pill the city government will procure.

Earlier, Roxas City in Capiz was granted with a compassionate special permit (CSP) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the procurement of Molnupiravir, the first oral anti-viral drug clinically proven to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death due to COVID-19.

This made the city the first local government unit outside the National Capital Region to secure such.

“(T)he Food and Drug Administration interposes no objection to the proposed importation of the Molnupiravir 200mg (milligram) capsule,” said Jesusa Joyce Cirunay, FDA Director IV for Center for Drug Regulation and Research, in a letter to city health officer Dr. Lory Cahilog dated November 26.

Roxas City Mayor Ronnie Dadivas represented the city government-run Temporary Treatment and Management Facility in the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the supplier of the anti-COVID-19 oral drug.

Molnupiravir was developed by the pharmaceutical companies Ridgeback Biotherapeutics and Merck, Sharp and Dohme. It was originally developed to treat flu.

Since it is an oral drug, it can be taken at home, whereas other treatments are taken intravenously or injected by a healthcare professional.

In a statement, the Department of Health (DOH) said that as of this time, the FDA is studying the submitted documents for Molnupiravir for them to be given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the Philippine FDA. While doing that, they have applied for compassionate special permit (CSP).

At this time also, it added that Molnupiravir is already being used by different hospitals in the country using a compassionate special permit.

As per DOH Central Office data, there are already 89 hospitals in the country that are using Molnupiravir including Qualimed Hospitals and five pharmaceutical companies.

The United Kingdom was the first country to approve the use of the pill. (Glenda Tayona)/WDJ