A Covid-19 cure may just be right under our noses

By ANSBERT B. JOAQUIN | Olongapo City

(Updated March 28, 2020 / 1:55 pm)

WHILE countries all over the world race against time to find an antidote to the highly infectious Covid-19, anti-viral vaccines that could be a game-changer in the fight against this deadly disease may just be in our neighborhood.

The first one was developed by the Fabunan family of doctors in San Marcelino, Zambales who for years now has been treating patients for dengue, chikungunya, dog bite, snake bite, and even HIV/AIDS with their Fabunan anti-viral injection (FAI).

Dr. Willie Fabunan, who now maintains clinics in San Marcelino and in Olongapo City, has recorded the successful treatment of nine out of ten HIV/AIDS patients way back when he was still practicing in his hometown in 1999.

Willie’s elder brother Ruben, who is now based in Los Angeles, California, founded the Fil-Am Tech, a private biotechnology firm, and began treating patients suffering from HIV/AIDS with the same drug.

What is significant is that this vaccine, Dr. Willie Fabunan told this reporter in earlier interviews, is just a combination of drugs anyone can buy over-the-counter from drugstores.

“We just changed the ratio of these combination drugs in treating various ailments,” Fabunan said, stressing the safety of his drug combo.

ALTERNATIVE CURE

As Covid-19 claims more lives in the country, Dr. Fabunan is offering this same drug as a potent remedy against the dreaded disease.

In a recent interview over a local radio station, Fabunan said that he has proven the efficacy of FAI for many years now since he started medical practice in 1981.

The problem, he added, is having the FAI combination approved by the government. “They’re looking for (clinical) trials, but I don’t have any because this is a private venture and we are not being funded,” he said.

But Fabunan said that in the absence of a cure for Covid-19, the government should consider the drug cocktail they developed.

“There are already health workers and doctors dying, what are (the authorities) waiting for when they don’t have any alternative to offer?” he asked. “Let us try to look into this (drug) and understand what it is, and give us some support because we’re not doing this for ourselves but for the whole country, the whole world who needs this.”

BATTING FOR PRODEX-B

Meanwhile, another local group has started an online petition for the Department of Health (DOH) to test their anti-viral drug which they named Prodex-B.

Health for Life president and former Olongapo City councilor John Carlos delos Reyes said it is crucial for the DOH to consider Prodex-B for immediate testing as a potential Covid-19 cure.

“We have focused enough on quarantines, lockdowns, testing kits, PPEs, more money from Congress. These are preventive and defensive, very expensive and will drain us in this battle of attrition with the virus. What we need is an anti-viral cure, and we need it now! Without this, we lose the war!” Delos Reyes said in a facebook appeal to encourage the public to sign the online petition.

In the petition “Urgent Appeal to DOH for the Immediate Testing of Prodex-B Anti-Viral Against Covid-19”, Delos Reyes said the drug cocktail is a combination of procaine and dexmethasone with vitamin B.

He said the compounded medicine has been the subject of two research papers. The first was titled “A Novel Method for the Selective Elimination of HIV Infected Cells: Dexamethasone and Procaine as a Combination Therapy Prototype” and conducted by Drs. Elbourakadi, Najoua and Ethan W. Taylor of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2011.

The second study was “In Vitro Anti-dengue Virus Activity of a Customized Drug Cocktail” conducted by the Molecular Immunology Laboratory for Research Education and Training (MILRET) at St. Luke’s Medical Center led by Dr. Isaac David E. Ampil II and Dr. Maria Terrese Alonzo-Dimamay.

In both tests, Delos Reyes said, “conclusions showed inhibition in viral replication, significant reduction of virus quantity, and even the ability to selectively kill infected cells.” He said both drugs in the combo are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Philippines and in the United States.

Quoting Dr. Ethan Taylor, Delos Reyes said the drugs “have different mechanisms of action, but when combined, produce a synergistic effect with a natural alcohol antagonistic to the virus.”

Delos Reyes also posted a March 20 letter from the St. Luke’s Medical Center’s Research and Biotechnology Group disclosing the results of their dengue research which showed “significant reduction in the virus quantity after treatment with the drug cocktail.”

“Our doctors are confident it can arrest the COVID-19 virus,” Delos Reyes said in his facebook post. “This is because Covid-19, which is caused by the virus named ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2’ (SARS-CoV-2), shares similar symptoms with Influenza, and the drug cocktail Prodex-B is almost 100% successful against influenza and dengue which are viral diseases.”

As of March 28, the petition by Health for Life, Inc. has gained 6,529 signatories. Their goal was to collect 7,500 signatures.

TESTIMONIES

Meanwhile, residents of Olongapo City and Zambales who are familiar with the Fabunan drug regimen are gung-ho at having the anti-viral injection approved by the Department of Health, citing first-hand experiences of the drug’s efficacy.

In a social media post by Peter Tiu Lavina, the former Duterte campaign spokesman said: “A friend from Cavite is on his way to Zambales escorted by PNP to look for the Filipino scientist who made anti-viral meds used against dengue, malaria, Ebola. God bless their way!”

And quickly, Olongapo residents took it as referring to to Dr. Willie Fabunan. “Dr. Fabunan to the rescue,” Nalene delos Santos Paulo of the Social Action Center of Zambales immediately commented.

One Mark Fernandez said: “Gamitin n’yo na lahat ng resources na meron tayo. Kung makakatulong si Doc Fabunan para sa situation ng bansa natin, let’s try it… besides madami na s’ya napagaling.”

Replying to a netizen who claimed her nephews and nieces were cured by the Fabunan anti-dengue vaccine, Manila Times correspondent Patrick Roxas joined in: “Di lang kayo. Dito sa family ko, pati sa kapatid kong bunso, nakatulong yung gamot nila Dr. Fabunan. And the reading materials plus research na ginawa ko while collaborating with them for some time allowed me a first-hand experience with the drug and the people who invented it.”

Another netizen, Marnee Aguila, who said that she just had two shots of the Fabunan anti-viral injection two weeks ago said: “That’s Dr. Willie Fabunan…a respectable doctor with his anti-viral injection.”

For his part, Delos Reyes said they are ready and willing to share what they know and disclose what they have about Prodex-B, so that the government can begin the process of vetting this medical alternative that could very well prove to be the game-changer against this pandemic.

“Our team is also willing to be deployed to ‘ground zero’ to be frontliners. We offer that our doctors administer the anti-viral for free. Please consider it part of the (clinical) trials,” Delos Reyes added.

“No names here, no profits to be made, no politics, just turning over to government and health authorities what we have, for love of country and humanity,“ he concluded. ~

NOTE: Above photo by Kendal/Unsplash is used for illustration purpose only. It is not meant to represent any of the drug mentioned in this story.

85 thoughts on “A Covid-19 cure may just be right under our noses”

  1. Subukan natin po lahat na pweding gawen lunas at ng mpapuksa ang virus po iyan.. Kawawa lahat ng doctor at frontliners po.. Kayo po kaya ang mawalan ng isang pamily diba po gaano kasakit..

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  2. If Prodex B was approved by FDA in the US, is it available over the counter or can only be purchased with doctor’s prescription?
    What are the ways to procure Prodex B?

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  4. My husband was one of his patients way back 1994 because of Malaria. Year 2009, my husband tried also his Fertility Injection (and we have 2 kids now). My Mom, Dad, brother, niece and nephews tried also his Immune Booster last January 2020 and it was a big help to their health. Dr. Willie Fabunan, his siblings and their medicines are really helpful to Zambaleños.

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  5. go for it!!!! any possible cure during these times when we believe there is no cure is a respite from the gloom scenario of today.

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  6. pinagaling ni dr fabunan ang 4 kung anak na nag ka dengue last oct. 19 2018.God bless you more doc. ako at ang aking pamilya ay nananalangin na isa ka sa makakatulong sa pag puksa ng covid 19.

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  8. Hoping that the goverment will look and may consider this. As mentioned above we need to use all possible resources to fight this pandemic. Above all we shall pray that this will cure the covid-19.

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  11. Siya pala yung naririnig ko na magaling na doktor.
    Bakit nga ba di subukan? Sana di mangibabaw ang isyu ng “KITA” gaya ng nangyari sa “Deng(goy)vaxia”.

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  12. My son got dengue fever and instead bringing to hospital for confinement my wife bring him to Dr. Fabunan and given shots of his anti-viral.. after few hours only he became better and upon completion of all shots he was cured… I have faith that his medicines can truly help to cure this COVID-19..

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  14. Fabunan Medical Clinic
    3 hrs ·
    NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC!! CLARIFICATIONS

    HINDI PO LAHAT NG IMPORMASYON NA NAKAPALOOB DITO AY TOTOO. ANG FABUNAN MEDICAL CLINIC AY SA KAHIT ANUMANG PARAAN HINDI KONEKTADO SA HEALTH FOR LIFE, (HFL) INC. NA PINAMUMUNUAN NG GRUPO NILA JC DELOS REYES. ANG MGA DOKTOR NA NABANGGIT NA SINA DR. DAVE NAVARRO AT DR. NATHANIEL NACIONAL AY HINDI RIN NAMIN KILALA.

    SA MAY AKDA NG ARTIKULONG ITO NA SI MR. ANSBERT JOAQUIN, PAKILAGAY LANG PO KUNG ANO ANG FACTS AND VERIFY MUNA PARA HINDI NALILITO ANG MGA TAO.

    SALAMAT PO

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  17. I think our higher ups should proceed to have this cure approved by DOH at the earliest time, without any hesitation, to save hundred to thousand lives. Let’s all pray that God will allow all possibilities to to have this negotiation happen in no time…time is ticking!

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  18. Yes, why not. Won’t harm. Have heard of this clinic or practice few years ago from a friend, so indeed why not go for it. The world needs a cure!!

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  20. Why not , why dont we gave chance to our verry own Dr.fabunan to prove what there medicine can do, while waiting to othere scientists developing or discovering to eliminate the said pandemic virus….who knows? Its a waste of time waiting than to try whats available that been infront of us….

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  21. Perhaps the government must consider all good option..why not use this kind of medicine to extremely ill covid 19 patient….in an extreme situations we need extreme measures…

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  24. we have nothing to loose, this might be the game-changer. may our govt greatly consider this propose drug wc might be the solution to this pandemic.God help us

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  25. Am pamela m. Cuntapay,live in olongapo city,also testify that my son also a dengue patience,and Dr.Fabunan is his Dr. And i believed and also my neighbor two of their daughters also took the vaccines,those chidren well recovered because of the vaccines from Dr. Fabunan…

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  26. Thanks God for you people who really have a heart of sharing your talents and resources… Maraming salamat sa inyo.

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  28. To the Fabunan family: KUDOS for your hardships and efforts..I pray and hope that the medicine you discovered would save millions of lives all over the world! God bless you all🙏🙏🙏

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  30. Be a reliable source of info in this pandemic covid 19 crisis and God bless us always may your medicine is a big help to all patients

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  33. Sana mabigyan agad ito ng pansin ng DOH para matest agad sa isang serious case na pasyiente ng covid 19.. Anyway, at the end of the day, there’s nothing to lose and if proven effective, the whole human race will win. Given the alarming rate of how the deadly virus now is spreading globally, We can’t afford any delayed actions from our government on this matter..even a single minute or moment from today. Please DOH we are begging you to take appropriate actions on this for the sake of all living human beings in the world for this may be God’s answer to our prayers.

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  34. Every possible remedy with potential capability to beat this Viral Pandemic should be worth looking into.
    I for one would vote for it’s TRIAL!

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  35. Please present to us further studies done. Patients treated..dose.. outcomes. Likewise the drugs mechanism of action, interaction. Scientific studies done. I welcome this new drug but it has to be tested to numerous cases first and see its efficacy in battling the virus.

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  36. This article would have made more impact if limited to medical and scientific facts. Including political sidebits only watered down the credibility of the article.

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  37. Please explain the exact mechanism of action of Prodex-B in the intracellular level just so we have a better grasp of how it works . Thank you .

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  39. with our local situation, lack of resources, anything that could be of help must be considered by the government asap for study and consideration, and its immediate application to the covid infected quick. Time elemet is crucial…

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  45. I am a resident of zambales. My family and I strongly support and prove that Prodex-B is very effective because we are one of the patients of Dr. Fabunan. We hereby recommend that Prodex-B will be the answer and cure of the pandemic COvID 19 .

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  48. This a good help…authorities should consider this as a solution to the pandemic that the world suffer…we hope that DOH act this as soon as possible….thank sir doctor Fabunan and family..GOD you bless you all…daghang salamat..

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  49. This is a good news for all of us filipino! Sana nga in God will…at mkatulong sa buong mundo….go go go Pinoy! May Almighty God help us… and bless to our dr. Kababayan thank you in advance po….

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  50. Looks promising.
    I am a Medical Technologist. Serving as a Frontliner in Rizal. I am willing to be deployed at the Ground Zero.
    How may I serve our Fellow men?

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