Thailand Invokes WTO Rule To Sell Generics For HIV And Heart Disease Drugs

Featured Article
Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Also Included In: Heart Disease;  HIV / AIDS;  Public Health
Article Date: 30 Jan 2007 - 0:00 PST


Thailand has invoked a World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on intellectual property rights to allow the manufacture, purchase and sale of generic versions of two drugs for heart disease and HIV/AIDS in the country.

The WTO agreement, which was negotiated as the Doha Declaration in 2001, allows governments to circumvent patent licences in the event of national health emergencies and to issue generic licences for the manufacture and sale of cheaper versions of essential drugs.

The two drugs in question are Plavix and Kaletra. Plavix (chemical name clopidogrel) is made by the US pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb and the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, while Kaletra (chemical name lopinavir) is made by the US company Abbott Laboratories.

Plavix (clopidogrel) is an oral antiplatelet drug used to treat a range of heart and cardiovascular diseases. In 2006, Apotex, a Canadian generic drug manufacturer started selling clopidogrel but was stopped last month when a Canadian court rejected its right to do so. In 2005, Plavix was the world's second biggest selling pharmaceutical product with annual sales approaching 6 billion US dollars.

Kaletra (lopinavir) is a protease inhibitor antiretroviral drug and is given in combination with ritonavir as a multi-drug capsule to treat HIV/AIDS. Kaletra (lopinavir) was developed to enhance the HIV resistance of ritonavir, and when given alone it does not have enough bioavailability. The patent for the drug lapses in the US in 2016.

Other countries such as Brazil and India have already used the WTO national emergency exception rule to circumvent patent licences to make HIV drugs more accessible.

Thailand's Public Health Minister, Mongkol na Songkhla, said the decision is justified because the high cost of the patented versions of the drugs has made the health crisis worse in his country.

Human rights agencies and aid organizations such as Medecins Sans Frontieres are said to have applauded Thailand's actions.

This is the second move by Thailand to issue compulsory generic licences for patented drugs under the WTO regulation. Last November it issued generic licences for the anti-AIDS drug efavirenz.

The Thai government will first import some of the generic drugs from India while it sets up its own production. They estimate that by using generics treatment costs will reduce by up to 90 per cent, making it possible to treat the 500,000 people with HIV/AIDS and 200,000 people with heart disease in the country.

The pharmaceutical companies are said to be displeased with the move as they were not expecting it and are "concerned about continuing to invest in a country where the government cannot provide a basic guarantee for the safety of their assets," according to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers' Association.

The Thai Health Ministry said it would be willing to discuss imports at cheaper prices with the pharmaceutical companies, but felt this was the only way they would be able to deal with their public health crisis.

HIV and AIDS in Thailand (AVERT).

Written by: Catharine Paddock
Writer: Medical News Today


Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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