Department of Health(DOH)

Dear Ryan Cuartero Please be informed that your request has been endorsed to the Health Technology Assessment Division (HTAD) for action. Kindly wait for their response, thank you

November 4, 2022 Dear Ryan Cuartero, Greetings! Thank you for your request dated Oct 21, 2022 07:06:04 AM under Executive Order No. 2 (s. 2016) on Freedom of Information in the Executive Branch. Your Request You asked for WHO recommends against the use of Remdesivir in COVID-19 Part 2 patients Part 2. Response to Request Your FOI request is approved. Below are the responses to your request Pursuant to the UHC Act, all health technologies that will be funded by the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) shall undergo health technology assessment (HTA). This law aims, among others, to establish the rational utilization of various health technologies that will be financed by the government. A positive recommendation from the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) as approved by the Secretary of Health (SOH) is a prerequisite for government financing of health technologies. In addition, kindly note that the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) shall act as the initial evaluator of topic nominations of COVID-19 technologies prior to endorsement to the HTA Division. Thus, all nominations for HTA of COVID-19 health technologies must be submitted first to DPCB. This is in accordance with Department Memorandum No. 2020-0364 with the subject “Interim Guidelines on Prioritization and Initial Evaluation of COVID-19 Related Products for Health Technology Assessment''. The initial recommendation of HTAC on the use of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 patients was released on 10 May 2021 at the website: https://hta.doh.gov.ph/2021/05/12/remdesivir-tocilizumab-baricitinib-and-favipiravir/ to wit: ● The HTAC recommends the use of remdesivir in addition to dexamethasone, among COVID-19 patients who have oxygen saturation of < 94% and/or requiring oxygen supplementation but are not on high flow nasal cannula or mechanical ventilation. ● The HTAC recommends against the use among patients who (a) do not require oxygen supplementation and have oxygen saturation of ≥ 94%, and (b) are on HFNC or mechanical ventilation except in a clinical trial setting. In addition, please note that the HTAC is currently assessing the possible inclusion of remdesivir in the Philippine National Formulary (PNF) following the issuance of the Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration. The HTAC will release its recommendations once available. Thank you Your right to request a review If you are unhappy with this response to your FOI request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response by writing to DOH Central Appeals and Review Committee, at [email protected]. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made within 15 calendar days from the date when you received this letter. We will complete the review and tell you the result within 30 calendar days from the date when we receive your review request. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (s. 2011). Thank you. Respectfully, FOI Decision Maker FOI Receiving Officer