Sen Tolentino files bill to institutionalize FDA EUA

Senator Francis Tolentino filed Senate Bill No. 2024 to institutionalize the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) authority to grant emergency use authorization (EUA) for health products during public health emergencies.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act 3720, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as the existing law does not explicitly provide for EUA.

Tolentino argues that an executive order authorizing the FDA director general to grant EUAs for COVID-19 vaccines is insufficient and subjects these issuances to stricter legal scrutiny.

He warned that invalidating current EUAs could delay the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the Philippines.

The proposed measure aims to legitimize past FDA circulars on EUA and ensure faster procurement and distribution of vaccines.

Granting EUA in the Philippines can reduce the processing time for vaccine approval from six months to 21 days.

As of January 28, 2021, Pfizer-BioNTech has secured an EUA, while AstraZeneca and Sinovac are still awaiting results of their applications.