MANILA - Bangladesh is "working on" boosting the local manufacturing of COVID-19 medicine and generic drugs in the Philippines, its ambassador said on Friday, after his meeting with President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Bangladesh has a "very booming pharmaceutical sector" which it is "hoping to enhance," Bangladeshi Ambassador to the Philippines Borhan Uddin said in a press conference.

"We are hoping to enhance our cooperation in this sector also and maybe there will be some investment from Bangladesh in in the Philippines in this sector," he said.

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The diplomat said he is also also hopeful about the inclusion of Philippines in the production of COVID-19 drugs.

"We are working on it and hopefully we will do it," he said.

"We have already produced some medicine for using for COVID and that is the remdesivir. We exported that medicine to many countries, including Philippines," he said.

Bangladesh exports its pharmaceutical products to some 140 countries around the globe, including USA and European Union countries.

It was the first country to produce a generic version of remdesivir, a drug used to treat severe cases of COVID-19.

Uddin said his country is also trying to develop a vaccine for the monkeypox.

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