Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Thursday, February 22 welcomed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) latest approval of 20 new drugs that will be exempted from the value added tax (VAT). 

Angara said this means more Filipinos who are suffering from cancer, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, mental illness, high cholesterol and tuberculosis will now have medicines available to them at affordable prices.

“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa paglabas ng panibangong listahan ng 20 na gamot para sa mga sakit tulad ng hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol at kidney diseases na karaniwang nararanasan ng marami sa ating mga kababayan (We are thankful with the release of the new list of 20 medicines for illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and kidney diseases that are prevalent among our people),” said Angara noting that there are now over 2,000 VAT-exempt drugs for prevention and management of specific ailments.

“Ito ang isa sa maraming benepisyo na naging bunga ng Republic Act 10963 o ang TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) Law (This is just one of the many benefits of RA 10963 or the TRAIN law),” said by the sponsor of the tax reform measure in the Senate.

Angara said this specific provision of the law was introduced by then Senator and now Finance Secretary Ralph Recto.

In the latest FDA Advisory (No. 2024-0329), the following medicines were added to the list of VAT-exempt health products:

For Cancer 

•            Sonidegib (as phosphate) 200 mg capsule;

•            Pemetrexed (as disodium heptahydrate) 100 mg lyophilized powder for IV infusion;

•            Asciminib (as hydrochloride) 20 mg tablet

•            Asciminib (as hydrochloride) 40 mg tablet

•            Palbociclib 75 mg tablet

•            Palbociclib 100 mg tablet

•            Palbociclib 125 mg tablet

•            Pemetrexed (as disodium hemipentahydrate) 100 mg powder concentrate for solution for infusion

•            Pemetrexed (as disodium hemipentahydrate) 10mg/ml solution for injection

•            Cabasitaxel 60 mg/1.5 ml concentrate for solution for injection

•            Entrectinib 100 mg

•            Entrectinib 200 mg

For Hypertension 

•            Losartan Potassium+Amlodipine (as besilate) 100 mg/10 mg tablet

•            Losartan Potassium+Amlodipine (as besilate) 100 mg/5 mg tablet

•            Irbesartan+Amlodipine (as besilate) 300 mg/5 mg tablet

•            Irbesartan+Amlodipine (as besilate) 300 mg/10 mg tablet

For Mental Illness

•            Cariprazine (as hydrochloride) 1.5 mg capsule

•            Cariprazine (as hydrochloride) 3 mg capsule

•            Cariprazine (as hydrochloride) 4.5 mg capsule

•            Cariprazine (as hydrochloride) 6 mg capsule

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has also released a list of 21 medicines endorsed by the FDA for VAT exemption last January.

“The end goal of all of these actions is to make these lifesaving drugs more accessible to those who need it. This was the goal of the TRAIN and CREATE Laws when it included these provisions on VAT exemptions for select medicines. Taking care of one’s health should not be an option,” Angara said.

The lawmaker also said that on top of the VAT exemption, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) will still enjoy the discounts accorded to them under the law.