[Ip-health] Thailand: Cheap heart drug arrives from India

[Kannikar KIJTIWATCHAKUL]

Thailand: Cheap heart drug arrives from India

Bangkok Post, Thursday June 19, 2008
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL


The first batch of the generic heart drug clopidogrel
ordered under the compulsory licensing scheme over a
year ago, will soon be available in state hospitals,
Wanchai Supachaturas, deputy managing director of the
Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), said
yesterday.

He said 1.2 million tablets of clopidogrel, a cheap
version of the heart drug marketed as Plavix, had
arrived from the Indian-based manufacturer Cadilla
Healthcare.

The medication will be immediately distributed to
state hospitals throughout the country. It will be
given to heart patients under the universal healthcare
scheme who have waited for the medication for over a
year, he said.

The import of the drug, which was placed under
compulsory licensing in January last year by the
Surayud Chulanont government, was delayed for a long
time by legal problems.

The patent owner of the medicine, Sanofi-Aventis, had
threatened to take legal action against the
India-based drug manufacturer if it supplied a generic
version to the Thai government.

Meanwhile, the Administrative Court has asked Public
Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab to submit additional
documents explaining his decision to dismiss the
entire GPO board last month, former chairman Dr Vichai
Chokewiwat said.

Dr Vichai and four former board members petitioned the
Administrative Court last month over their removal,
which they said was unfair. The next hearing is
scheduled for Monday.

Dr Vichai was a key advocate of compulsory licensing
to bypass patents of Aids, heart and cancer drugs last
year. The move upset multinational drug companies and
the US Trade Representative.

Mr Chaiya did not appear in person at the hearing. He
was represented by lawyers from the Health Ministry
and the Office of the Attorney-General.

The Health Minister also denied reports he had put
pressure on GPO managing director Witit Artavatkun to
resign.

''I am quite pleased with Dr Witit's performance and
the current board chairman Thirachai Wuthitham,'' he
said.




Kannikar KIJTIWATCHAKUL (Kar)
Access to Essential Medicine Campaigner
MSF Belgium - Thailand Mission,
522 Mooban Nakorn Thai 14,
Ladphrao Soi 101/1,
Bangkapi, Bangkok 10240
Tel (+66) 2370 3087
Fax (+66) 2731 1432
Mobile (+66) 85-070-8954