FDA: Some cancer, diabetes medicines placed on VAT-exempt list

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has added several medicines to the list of VAT-exempt medicines.

According to an advisory the following medicines have been placed on VAT-exempt list:

Cancer Medicine

• Degarelix: Freeze-dried powder for solution for injection (80 mg and 120 mg)
• Tremelimumab: Concentrate for solution for infusion (25 mg/1.25 mL, 20 mg/mL)

Diabetes Medicine

• Sitagliptin: Film-coated tablet (25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg)
• Sitagliptin (as hydrochloride) + Metformin Hydrochloride: Film-coated tablet (50 mg/1 g, 50 mg/850 mg)
• Sitagliptin (as hydrochloride monohydrate): Film-coated tablet (25 mg, 50 mg)
• Linagliptin: Film-coated tablet (5 mg)

Medicine for Mental Illness

• Clomipramine Hydrochloride: Film-coated tablet (25 mg)
• Chlorpromazine (as hydrochloride): Tablet (200 mg)
• Midazolam: Film-coated tablet (15 mg)

In a public briefing on Friday, FDA spokesperson Atty. Pamela Sevilla said that the new additions to the list were decided by representatives of the FDA, Department of Health (DOH), Department of Finance, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue after a business applies for their companies to be VAT-exempt.

“VAT exempt medicines is in line with our national internal revenue code po or tax code, which was amended by our train law, and was eventually amended by the CREATE law,” Sevilla said.

Sevilla added that the list of medicines was regularly updated, with some drugs being added while others were removed.

In August, the FDA also announced 15 cancer, high cholesterol, hypertension, and mental illness medicines as VAT-exempt.

Over 20 medicines were also exempted from VAT in March, following 21 added to the VAT-exempted list in January.

The updated list of VAT-Free Medicines is available and regularly updated on the FDA website. —NB, GMA Integrated News