‘Don’t be the first to use a new drug’

MANILA, Philippines — For senatorial aspirant Dr. Willie Ong, the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia should not have been implemented in a large group of recipients considering that it is a new drug.

In an interview recently with “The Chiefs” on One News/Cignal TV, Ong said he and some doctors and health advocates had advised the Department of Health (DOH) back in 2015 against the use of Dengvaxia in its anti-dengue program.

“The problem is we are the first country to use it in one million (recipients). We have a rule in medicine – Don’t be the first to use a new drug because you don’t know the side effect,” noted Ong who is a cardiologist and internist.

Citing a report of the New England Journal of Medicine, he claimed there was already a trend of harm if the vaccine was given to children below nine-years-old who are seronegative or have not had dengue.

Ong, however, conceded that Dengvaxia is beneficial if given to children above nine-years-old and have contracted dengue in the past.

He added Dengvaxia is the reason why he decided to run in the May 13 senatorial race.

According to Ong, he would focus on legislation that will lower the prices of medicine because prices in the Philippines are five times higher than in other countries in Asia.

He said the current Cheaper Medicine Act covers only simple medicine for diabetes and hypertension. 

“I am not against pharmaceutical companies. But I think the profit is too high. It should be reduced but they will say the taxes are too high so that’s why their medicine are too high,” he added.

He underscored the need for pharmaceutical companies to cut their budget for junket, pricing and marketing and to do parallel importation to ensure affordable medicine for patients.

Ong also intends to push for the expansion of the “free medicine” program of the DOH.