[Ip-health] Bangkok Post: GPO to make Thai version of Tamiflu (plans tol issue CL)

[Mike Palmedo]

[snip]

Dr Thawat downplayed concerns over intellectual property rights, saying
that the government would introduce a compulsory license allowing the
country to produce the drug on the grounds of urgent public health needs.

[snip]
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http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/18Oct2005_news12.php

GPO to make Thai version of Tamiflu

APINYA WIPATAYOTIN PIYARAT JONGCHAROEN
Bangkok Post
October 18,  2005

The first Thai-made generic version of the anti-viral drug Oseltamivir,
better known as Tamiflu, will be manufactured by the Government
Pharmaceutical Organisation and be available to the public from October
of next year, chief of the Disease Control Department Thawat Sundarachan
said yesterday. Thailand plans to start production of Oseltamivir, and
expects to have up to 50,000 capsules by next October. It is now in the
laboratory testing stage.

``We have ordered the active pharmaceutical ingredient of Oseltamivir
from India.

``We expect clinical tests to be completed before October. But in case
of a [bird flu] epidemic spreading [among humans], we will speed up
production of the medicine.

``There is no need to wait for the clinical trials,'' he said.

Thailand has so far stocked up 660,000 capsules of imported Oseltamivir,
or Tamiflu, which is one of the few medicines known to be effective in
combating bird flu in humans, and ordered another 340,000 capsules from
Switzerland.

The medicine's shelf-life is about five years.

Pharmaceutical giant Roche, which is based in Switzerland, has the sole
patent to produce Oseltamivir under the Tamiflu brand name.

Dr Thawat downplayed concerns over intellectual property rights, saying
that the government would introduce a compulsory license allowing the
country to produce the drug on the grounds of urgent public health needs.

Meanwhile in Kanchanaburi, public health and livestock officials have
destroyed 364 free-range chickens raised by villagers in Phanom Thuan
district after many were found to have died of bird flu.

The action was taken after samples of dead chickens were collected from
14 areas in tambon Phang Tru and sent to the research and animal health
development centre in Ratchaburi for testing. The centre confirmed the
chickens died of the lethal H5N1 avian flu virus.

More than 10 officials were dispatched to the area to spray disinfectant
and they declared the area an outbreak zone.

Ratchaburi governor Wongsawat Sawasdipanich and public health and
livestock office chiefs also went to Ban Khao Ngaem in Muang district
where sparrows have succumbed to bird flu.

Samples of fowl were taken at random from about 18,000 chickens being
raised in 26 villages within a 5km radius from where the outbreak was
detected and sent to Mahidol University for laboratory testing.

Disinfectants were sprayed in a wide area to prevent any possible spread
of the disease.