The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading of a bill seeking to lower the prices of meds amid claims big drugmakers tried to block its passage, The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports. In an unusual show of unity, all 205 lawmakers present voted in favor of the bill.

The bill seeks to increase the poor’s access to meds by, among other things, allowing parallel importation of patented meds and revising the Intellectual Property Code which provides protection for holders of medicine patents. But its passage came after months of intense debates and alleged efforts by pharmaceutical firms to delay, water down or archive the measure, the paper writes.

One representative, Risa Hontiveros, accused the US Trade Rep’s Office in Manila of attempting to influence the deliberations on the bill, allegedly to favor transnational pharmaceutical companies. She earlier distributed to reporters copies of a “position paper” she said was being circulated by the US Trade Rep’s Office among members of the House committee on trade and industry that was steering the bill’s passage through the House.

The position paper contained comments and suggestions, purportedly coming from the US government, on how certain provisions of the bill can be worded. At a press briefing on Tuesday, Hontiveros said the US Trade Rep ought be reminded that the Philippines “is not a colony of your country.” Shalimar Vitan, policy coordinator for Oxfam International, tells the paper that the document was also intended for the Philippines’ Intellectual Property Office. “This is the unseen hand” trying to influence the Cheaper Medicines Bill, he told a press briefing.

Another rep, Antonio Alvarez, chairman of the House committee on trade and industry, said he had been approached by the US Trade Rep’s office regarding its its concerns about HB 2844. And the American Chamber of Commerce had also written to the house speaker concerning the bill. But Alvarez said “it was nothing. They just raised their concerns sometime ago, but I didn’t mind them.”

The House-approved measure proposes the creation of the Drug Price Regulation Board that will regulate retail prices of drugs in the country.

The medicines covered by price regulations are:

1. Drugs or medicines indicated for treatment of chronic illnesses and
life threatening conditions like diabetes, endocrine disorder,
gastrointestinal disorders, peptic ulcer, cardiovascular diseases,
hypertension, among others;

2. Drugs or medicines indicated for prevention of diseases like
vaccines, immunoglobulin and anti-serums;

3. Drugs or medicines indicated for prevention of pregnancy such oral
contraceptives;

4. Anesthetic agents;

5. Intravenous fluids;

6. Drugs or medicines included in the Philippine National Drug Formulary
(PNDF) Essential Drug list;

7. All other drugs or medicines which from time to time the Board
determines to be in need of price regulation.