Business World – June 13, 2007

State-owned Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) is aiming to provide the antihypertensive drug Norvasc (amlodipine besylate), whose Philippine patent expires today, at prices lower than that provided by local licensee Pfizer Philippines.

Cecilia C. Sison, PITC vice-president for business development, yesterday said meetings on the matter have been going on "constantly".

"Importation will be done only if local prices warrant. We’ve been asking Pfizer to lower their prices," she said, but refrained from giving a timeline for the program.

The targeted retail price range for an imported five-milligram tablet would be between P17.50, the price of a competing drug, and the P22.50 presently offered by Pfizer through its discount program.

Ms. Sison said although the state firm will be setting its prices at a level below Pfizer’s, PITC was not inclined to compete with United Laboratories’ Amvasc (amlodipine camsylate), of which a 5-mg tablet costs P17.50.

"We are thankful Unilab responded [to Pfizer] with Amvasc, which was priced on what they thought was reasonable," she said.

"What we want to assure Unilab is that with any move of PITC, we do consider the present price of Amvasc," she added.

The imported drugs will be made available through the government’s Botika ng Bayan outlets. PITC data show that Norvasc, when imported from Pfizer’s counterparts in Pakistan and India, costs P8.74 and P17.09 for the 5-mg and 10-mg tablets, respectively.

Ms. Sison said the Botika prices will factor in a profit margin for sustained importation, as well as "a comfortable margin" for each drug retailer.

The allocation for PITC’s importation program will be about P500 million, she said.

Catherine S. Ileto, Pfizer corporate affairs head, declined to comment on what measures the company will take once its patent expires.

"Insofar as we’re concerned, once the patent for Norvasc expires, everyone will be free to import, distribute and sell its generic equivalent, subject to BFAD (Bureau of Food and Drugs) approval. This is the same situation as other off-patent products, and we’re fine with that," she said.
 
Pfizer has been offering the drug at a 50% discount through its patient care program, where cardholders not only get a discount but are instructed on taking their medication. The five-milligram tablet, originally worth P44.75, is priced at P22.50, while the 10-mg tablet worth P74.57 is priced at P37.25. PITC has criticized this system as being made available only to select centers and doctors, but Pfizer has said it ensures the proper use of medication.

Pfizer filed a patent infringement case last March after PITC imported 80 samples of the drug for testing. The suit is still pending. The PITC countered by filing last month a petition to void Pfizer’s patent on Norvasc. Although the patent expires today, the state firm said it intends to pursue the case, filed with the Intellectual Property Office, believing the drug company should not have been granted such.

"Was it really patentable in the first place? [This has to be resolved] because they sued us on the basis of the patent," Ms. Sison said. — Paul C. H. How