Farmacéuticas
Cable sobre la decisión del ministro de Sanidad tailandés de mantener la pérdida de la patente del efavirenz
La nota recoge que el titular de Sanidad sostiene que la patente del fármaco "ha mantenido su precio el doble que el de los genéricos, y ha dificultado el acceso por los pacientes".
| ID: | 94600 |
| Date: | 2007-01-30 23:41:00 |
| Origin: | 07BANGKOK598 |
| Source: | Embassy Bangkok |
| Classification: | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY |
| Dunno: | |
| Destination: | VZCZCXRO3066 RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHBK #0598 0302341 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 302341Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4440 RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1771 RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC |
UNCLAS BANGKOK 000598 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE PASS USTR FOR B. WEISEL, C. WILSON STATE PASS USPTO HHS/OHGA FOR AMAR BHAT, ERIKA ELVANDER USDOC FOR JKELLY E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: ECON, ETRD, KIPR, TH SUBJECT: RTG OPEN TO DISCUSSIONS WITH PHARMA "AFTER CL'S ARE ISSUED" 1. On January 29, Minister of Public Health Mongkol na Songhkla issued a statement officially announcing compulsory licenses (CL) on Abbott Labs' HIV medicine Kaletra, and the heart medication Plavix, distributed by Sanofi-Aventis. The official notification for Kaletra was signed on January 24, and for Plavix the following day. According to the statement, the CL on Kaletra will be effective for five years, but for Plavix will have no expiration date. 2. Mongkol's statement offered an opening of sorts to pharmaceutical firms, saying that the government would ask for voluntary price reductions from the firms before exercising compulsory licenses. He added less than magnanimously that, "if we can buy the original drug at a price not higher than that available in other places, we are willing to buy it." In other words, any pharmaceutical firm that markets a patented life-saving drug at a higher price than available generics faces the prospect of a compulsory license. 3. In a phone conversation with Econoff, Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert, the Senior Advisor on Health Economics to the Minister of Public Health and a driving force behind the CLs, claimed that the Ministry was open to meeting with pharmaceutical firms to discuss pricing, but only after the CL was issued. Suwit said that the Ministry had opted against negotiating beforehand with patent holders, having had no luck in previous discussions. He insisted that negotiations would only have delayed the process and would not have resulted in lower prices, and noted that WTO rules did not require prior negotiations when used for public non-commercial use. Suwit said despite pharmaceutical companies protests to the contrary there were 3-4 cases of prior discussions they could publicize, but chose not to so that "the companies wouldn't lose face." 4. Pharmaceutical firms are up in arms over the newest declaration and are mulling their options, including pursuing litigation. Lawyers for the local pharmaceutical association (and attorneys of record for many of the local firms) say they plan to file an appeal to the Board of Patents on the CL on Merck's drug efavirenz. Thai law offers the opportunity to appeal a CL decision within 60 days of receiving notice of the decision. Although there was no official government decree, Merck received notification on December 12, and thus plan to file their appeal by February 9 to meet the deadline. Any further litigation on this and other products may have to wait until actual deliveries of generic versions of the drug are made in Thailand. 5. The Swiss Ambassador brought up the CL issue on January 29 with Minister of Commerce Krirk-krai Jirapaet, but the Minister simply referred the matter to the Ministry of Public Health. Merck had earlier reported that the Minister had pledged in a meeting with them that no more compulsory licenses would be issued, but with the Swiss he offered no more assurances other than that Thailand would respect its international commitments. Comment ------- 6. The Ministry of Public Health remains determined to forge ahead with its CL plans, and feels that it is in a strong negotiating position. To date, no RTG ministries seem to be either willing or able to intervene in the CL process. Our impression is that, in terms of group dynamics, the CL process is one "aye" (the MoPH) in a room full of no-comments (the other ministries). Local media coverage has been minimal and, aside from coverage of PReMA's press release, uncritical. |
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