RITA JOSEFINA MONTESSANTOS
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SCIENTIST
A staunch supporter of cheaper medicines, Rita Josefina Montes-Santos, helped Unilab create its generic product roadmap in the early 2000s. This initiative continues to pave the way for cheaper generics to this date. She also actively campaigned for Republic Act no. 9502 or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 (“Cheaper Medicines Act”).
The policy she pushed for continues to require the state to promote and ensure access to affordable quality drugs and medicine for Filipinos. This law also challenges the competition policy in the supply and demand of quality affordable drugs and medicines produced in the country.
Amid Covid-19, she was part of the team that developed and patented the technology to produce ImmunPro, the world’s first and only stable vitamin C plus Zinc swallow tablet that consistently meets USP dissolution requirements. Dissolution is the process whereby a substance forms a solution; it has been an integral measure of a drug’s bioavailability and therapeutic effectiveness.
Montes-Santos, who used to be the principal scientist of Unilab, has led her team in working on hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription drugs. Among the medicines they have worked on are Alaxan, the world’s first combination of paracetamol and ibuprofen, and Ceelin, a vitamin C supplement for kids.
GERALDINE ACUÑA-SUNSHINE
CORPORATE LAWYER, SOCIAL IMPACT INVESTOR AND ENTREPRENEUR
“The contributions of women across various fields have been profound and transformative, shaping the course of history, technology, science, human rights, the arts and more,” says Geraldine Acuña-Sunshine, co-founder and president of the board of trustees of the Philippine Living Heritage Initiative. As a longstanding champion of education, healthcare, social entrepreneurship and community development, Acuña-Sunshine serves on several boards, many of which are based at Harvard University, her alma mater.
