The country’s first “Pharma Innovation Hub” is taking shape following the signing yesterday of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Export Processing Authority and AstraZeneca, with the latter as project implementer.
The hub forms part of the pharmaceutical company’s P7 billion investment in the Philippines over the next few years in a bid to advance healthcare innovation and expand access to affordable medicines
PEZA director general Tereso O. Panga and AstraZeneca Philippines country president Lotis Ramin signed the MOU on August 19, with Trade Secretary Cristina A. Roque, who also chairs the PEZA Board, among the witnesses.
Under the agreement, AstraZeneca’s Innovation Hub will serve as a regional platform for digital health technology, research and development collaboration, and patient-centered healthcare solutions.
Its first project will be the creation of an Oncology Innovation Center, modeled after AstraZeneca’s global hub in the United Kingdom.
The center will make use of artificial intelligence for early cancer detection, enhance patient-support programs, build healthcare workforce capacity, and promote evidence-based policymaking.
The partnership also covers AstraZeneca’s support for the Philippines’ investment promotion efforts through business forums, investment briefings, B2B sessions, and international delegations to attract healthcare-related investments.
In return, PEZA will help identify strategic ecozone locations, streamline regulatory processes, and link the company with support industries and potential joint venture partners.
“This partnership with AstraZeneca and PEZA is a big step toward President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s goal of making medicines more affordable and accessible, while also laying the foundation for the Philippines to become a hub for research, digital health, and new medical investments,” Roque said.
Panga added that the initiative aligns with PEZA’s strategy to establish more medical-centered ecozones or “Pharma Zones.”
The Philippines’ pharmaceutical sector is among its fastest-growing industries, with more than 14 multinational companies.
Under PEZA, over 50 manufacturers and medical device firms, including Terumo Philippines, Merck Business Solutions, JMS Healthcare, and Royale Life Pharma, are currently operating across economic zones nationwide.
