[Ip-health] Thailand may get cancer drug free from Novartis: minister

[Joana Ramos]

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>From Yahoo News

                        BANGKOK (AFP) -
				Thailand may get cancer drug free from Novartis: minister

Wed Nov 21, 11:23 AM ET

Thailand could get a cancer medicine from Norvatis for free if it slows
its drive for generic versions of patented drugs, the country's health
minister said Wednesday.

Thailand is at the forefront of an international battle with
pharmaceutical companies over so-called compulsory licenses, which
temporarily suspend patent protections.

The government has already issued compulsory licenses to get copycat
versions of a heart drug and two key AIDS medicines. In September, it
announced that it would also seek generic versions of four cancer drugs.

During talks with Novartis over its cancer-fighting Imatinib, Health
Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla said the company had offered to provide
the drug for free if Thailand halts its drive to expand its generic
drug programme.

If a deal were reached, the government could provide unlimited amounts
of the drug through its universal health care scheme, he said.

Imatinib currently costs as much as 100,000 baht (2,950 dollars) per patient per month.

"Novartis proposed to us to give free Imatinib without condition and
limit in amount and time. We are in the final process of discussion,"
Mongkol told a seminar on compulsory licensing (CL) in Bangkok.

He said talks with two other drugmakers on cheaper prices for cancer drugs were also making progress.

"If this is successful, there will be no need for the government to implement more CL" on other drugs, he added.

Thailand has so far imposed compulsory licenses for the blockbuster
heart drug Plavix and the AIDS medicines Kaletra and Efavirenz.

It has already begun importing cheaper versions from India, a major source of generic drugs.

Mongkol refused to rule out the possibility that the country would seek
generic versions of other drugs in extraordinary circumstances.

"I won't say that we will do it again or not. We will do more CL only (on an) exceptional basis," he told reporters.

He also said that the government was considering legal action against
Abbott, which withdrew an advanced version of Kaletra from the Thai
market after the compulsory license was issued.

Thailand has a law that bars pharmaceutical companies from limiting
access to their drugs if the medicine is available in other countries.

"The commerce ministry has been under negotiations with Abbott and
considering a chance for legal action against the company," he said.

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Joana Ramos, MSW
Cancer Resources & Advocacy
Seattle WA
+1-206-229-2420
http://ramoslink.info/
www.healthyskepticism.org/


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