[Ip-health] Thai Govt Pharma Org plans to manufacture heart, Aids drugs

[Sarah Rimmington]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/13Mar2008_news12.php
PATENT-BREAKING
GPO plans to make heart, Aids drugs
March 13, 2008
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) plans to manufacture
local versions of anti-Aids and heart drugs that are listed under the
compulsory licensing scheme. Witit Artavatkun, GPO managing director,
yesterday said imports of two antiretroviral medicines, Efavirenz and
Lopinavir/Ritonavir, as well as the heart drug Clopidogrel, would no
longer be needed after the construction of its new 700-million-baht
plant is finished.

This is to save money on drug imports and speed up the distribution of
medicine to patients.

The plant is under construction in Nakhon Nayok and is expected to be
completed within six months. It may take around 10 months before the
plant is ready to produce the first batch of medicines. Its maximum
production capacity would be three billion tablets a year, he said.

The agency had already distributed Efavirenz tablets and the second-line
Aids drug Lopinavir/Ritonavir, bought from Indian drug makers.

The distribution of Clopidogrel has been delayed however because the
India-based manufacturer was uncertain over the Samak Sundaravej
government's CL policy. He said the GPO would be able to distribute the
imported heart drug within 45 days from the government stating clearly
it would continue the previously-announced CL policy.

Dr Witit said the GPO has no plans to produce cancer drugs as they need
high-end production technology and also require massive investment.

Meanwhile, the GPO would be distributing the generic lung and cancer
drug Docetaxel for patients under the universal healthcare scheme within
one and a half months. The Indian generic maker charges 1,245 baht per
80mg of the drug compared to the original version which costs 25,000
baht. The first batch would be enough to treat about 1,000 lung and
breast cancer patients.

The GPO was still seeking generic versions of Erlotinib, a lung cancer
drug, and Letrozole, a breast cancer drug for local distribution, he said.

Mongkol na Songkhla, public health minister under the coup-maker
appointed government, announced the CL policy for the cancer drugs on
Jan 4. It was aimed at bypassing the patents on four cancer drugs _
Erlotinib, Docetaxel, Imatinib and Letrozole _ because the patent
holders refused to lower prices after 13 rounds of talks.

Dr Mongkol later cancelled a deal for Imatinib after the patent holder
offered the drug free to 900 patients under the universal healthcare scheme.

In a related development, the EU confirmed the legality of Thailand's
policy on CL and did not plan to threaten a World Trade Organisation
challenge.

''The commission has been in constant contact with the Thai authorities
and has stressed that compulsory licensing, while allowed by the WTO
rules, should be regarded as a last resort option and that negotiations
and collaboration with pharmaceutical companies should be sought. The EU
is hoping that this will be the line of the new government,'' the EU
said in a statement.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan said
yesterday he fully supported CL for cancer drugs, saying he is ready to
explain the policy to foreign countries in the hope of preventing any
impact upon trade.

''Personally, I agree with the government's plan to go ahead with CL to
ensure access to essential medicines for Thai patients,'' he said.

--
Sarah Rimmington
Attorney
Essential Action, Access to Medicines Project
Washington, DC
Tel: (202) 387-8030
Cell: (202) 422-2687
www.essentialaction.org/access/