[Ip-health] Thailand: Aids activists want CL for Effavirenz, Deputy Public Health Minister Anuthin Charnveerakul says CL "could ruin the atmosphere of trade and investment in the country"

[James Love]

* Aids activists yesterday urged the government to negotiate for a
compulsory licence on Effavirenz to help patients who are resistant
to GPO-VIR, which is produced locally.  Nimitre Thienudom, director
of the Aids Access Foundation, considers the Aids situation in the
country to be at a crisis point due to an insufficient supply of GPO-
VIR, an anti-retroviral drug manufactured by the Government
Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), a firm under the Public Health
Ministry. Patients who are becoming resistant to GPO-VIR require
Effavirenz, a stronger drug which is still expensive, costing a
patient about 20,000 baht a month. Those using GPO-VIR currently pay
just 1,200 baht per month for it. Mr Nimitre said Effavirenz was
difficult to buy on the market and so the government should resort to
compulsory licensing in a bid to prevent a shortage.

* Deputy Public Health Minister Anuthin Charnveerakul played down the
concerns of Aids groups, saying the government had sufficient budget
to take care of those who are resistant to GPO-VIR. But he admitted
that compulsory licensing was a sensitive issue because it could ruin
the atmosphere of trade and investment in the country. "We have to
think about it very carefully. The best way is to negotiate with the
company," he said.


http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/30Oct2005_news010.php

Sunday
30 October 2005

Aids activists want deal on drug licence
Patients may become resistant to medicine

By Apinya Wipatayotin & Manop Thip-osod

Aids activists yesterday urged the government to negotiate for a
compulsory licence on Effavirenz to help patients who are resistant
to GPO-VIR, which is produced locally.

Nimitre Thienudom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, considers
the Aids situation in the country to be at a crisis point due to an
insufficient supply of GPO-VIR, an anti-retroviral drug manufactured
by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), a firm under the
Public Health Ministry.

Patients who are becoming resistant to GPO-VIR require Effavirenz, a
stronger drug which is still expensive, costing a patient about
20,000 baht a month. Those using GPO-VIR currently pay just 1,200
baht per month for it.

Mr Nimitre said Effavirenz was difficult to buy on the market and so
the government should resort to compulsory licensing in a bid to
prevent a shortage.

Chuchai Somchumni, a senior official at the National Health Security
Office, attempted to allay the concerns of Aids patients, insisting
that the GPO was in talks with a pharmaceutical company producing
Effavirenz, claiming the outcome was likely to be positive.

If it can be produced in India or Thailand, the price would drop to
about 6,000 baht for a month's supply, said Dr Chuchai, whose agency
provides health services to the public. He did not name the drug firm
taking part in the discussions.

About 2,000 people are facing the problem of GPO-VIR resistance and
the number is likely to increase year on year.

Deputy Public Health Minister Anuthin Charnveerakul played down the
concerns of Aids groups, saying the government had sufficient budget
to take care of those who are resistant to GPO-VIR.

But he admitted that compulsory licensing was a sensitive issue
because it could ruin the atmosphere of trade and investment in the
country.

"We have to think about it very carefully. The best way is to
negotiate with the company," he said.