[Ip-health] CL situation in Thailand

[tui]

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Dear all

After Thi Government issued CL for AIDS drugs and Heart desiese , many drug=
 company and PReMa try to lobby the government to stop to use CL by order t=
o withdraw all investment in Tahiland. Below is the situation and more deta=
il.

Thanks
Tui




++++++++++++++++++
After years of lobbying, the Thai government has issued compulsory licenses=
 for 2 ARV drugs, Efavirenz and Kaletra and for Plavix, an anti clotting ag=
ent.



The government announced its decision to issue a compulsory licence for Efa=
virenz in November last year however it has since been locked in talks with=
 pharmaceutical company, Merck who currently holds the patent on Efavirenz =
in Thailand until 2013. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Minist=
ry of Commerce have also been under increasing pressure from the Thai Pharm=
aceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PReMA), the US ambassador=
 and the Swiss ambassador to prevent the government issuing these licenses.



Despite this pressure, the Thai Health Minister, Mongkol na Songkhla has si=
gned the licenses and they are now effective for government use. Thailand w=
ill import a generic version of Efavirenz from Indian Pharmaceutical compan=
y, Rambaxy until the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) has compl=
eted bio-equivalence studies and is able to produce a generic version of Ef=
avirenz. It is expected that this may be possible in six months time. The T=
hai government will import a generic version of Kaletra from Indian generic=
 company, Hetero. The GPO is currently researching the possibility of manuf=
acturing a generic version of Kaletra, currently under patent by Abbott in =
Thailand.



This is a ground breaking decision for Thailand=92s military regime and has=
 come after years of lobbying previous governments by TNP+, AIDS ACCESS Fou=
ndation, MSF, academics and other HIV activists and organisations. Thailand=
 amended its patent laws to be compliant with WTO regulations in 1992 and s=
o the ability to issue compulsory licenses are a viable legal option to ens=
ure access to quality yet cheaper versions of patented ARV medication.



Yesterday (January 30th), TNP+ went to Government House to meet with the Th=
ai Minister  of Health and to deliver a letter to Prime Minister, Surayut C=
hulanont expressing our gratitude and support for their courageous decision=
.





Wirat Purahong, chairperson of TNP+, meeting with Mongkol na Songkhla, the =
Thai Health Minister yesterday at Government House in Bangkok.









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=E2=B7=C3. 02-372 2113-4 =E1=BF=A1=AB=EC 02-372 2116
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Sangsiri Teemanka
AIDS ACCESS Foundation
48/282 Center Place Ramkamheang Rd.
Sapansoong Bangkok 10240
Tel. 66-2 372 2113-4  Fax. 66-2 372 2116
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