Thailand threatens to produce more copycat drugs (Reuters)
Nick
By Nopporn Wong-Anan
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand, which has upset big drug companies by
issuing patent-overriding licenses for generic versions of heart and
HIV/AIDS pills, said on Monday it would issue more unless the firms cut
prices.
Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla told Reuters a ministry panel was
studying drugs Thailand needed and could make or buy copies of while
haggling for "appropriate" prices of patented versions.
"If they give us a certain amount of discount, we won't do it," Mongkol
said, referring to compulsory licenses governments are allowed to issue
to domestic firms to produce generic versions of drugs in emergencies.
"We don't call this a threat, but a negotiation for the country's
benefit," Mongkol said in a telephone interview.
Last week, the Health Ministry issued compulsory licenses for the heart
disease drug Plavix, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Sanofi-Aventis and
Abbott Laboratories' Kaletra to treat
HIV/AIDS.
The licenses, which Thai health officials said would save the country up
to 800 million baht ($24 million) a year, drew praise from AIDS
activists, but flak from Washington and the drug industry, which are
urging the ministry to rescind them.
Mongkol said the ministry would enforce the licenses only if it failed to
get the two patented drugs from the firms at prices it was prepared to
pay.
"If they reduce the prices to a level that we are satisfied, we won't
enforce them," said Mongkol, who first angered drug companies in November
by issuing Thailand's first such license for Merck's Efavirenz anti-
retroviral AIDS treatment.
The price of Plavix would drop by more than 90 percent to 6 baht ($0.18)
per tablet if made generically, Thai health officials say.
Plavix is Bristol-Myers Squibb's biggest-selling medicine with annual
sales of $6 billion before a copycat Canadian manufactured version hit
the market briefly in August.
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Paul Cawthorne, head of Doctors Without Borders in Thailand, backed the
military-appointed government's action, saying it was spending 11,580
baht ($347) per patient per month for Kaletra and could cut that by two
thirds with a generic version.
Mongkol declined to confirm a report in Thai Rath, the leading Thai
newspaper, quoting him as saying further compulsory licenses could cover
cancer, cholesterol-reducing drugs and some anti-biotics.
"These were the drugs proposed by the panel a long time ago, which could
be changed anytime," he said.
The newspaper quoted Mongkol as saying drugs under consideration were
Rituxan, a big-selling drug for lymphoma, and a rheumatoid arthritis drug
owned by Genentech Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc.
Under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, a government is allowed to
declare a "national emergency" and license the production or sale of a
patented drug without the permission of the foreign patent owner.
($1=33.40 baht)"
I'm wondering what the criteria to declare a "national emergency" are,
as Thailand has a big trade surplus and the economy isn't doing that bad.
Is Thailand really in a position that it can't afford to spend $24
million to be able to buy non-generic versions, I doubt that.
I did find a bit of info with respect to a "national emergency", but the
info IMHO is pretty vague:
http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/factsheet_pharm02_e.htm
It's not hard to understand that some African countries would declare a
"national emergency" but Thailand, a country that worries about its
currency being too strong?
Nick
Coldpen
"Nick" <nickn...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns98D5E5...@213.75.12.135...
Thaksin already spent all money, Nick.
rinpoche
Thaksin's 30-baht medical treatment scheme. These guys have an
election to win. They can worry about the departing foreign investors
later on.
rinpoche
On Feb 13, 8:25 am, "Coldpen" <cold...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thaksin already spent all money, Nick.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Nick
news:45d10578$0$5743$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au:
snipped
>
> Thaksin already spent all money, Nick.
>
>
So all these numbers that one read at times about a Thai trade surplus are
just bogus?
Numbers about foreign currency reserves are just bogus?
Budgets can't be allocated differently?
I could go on and on but I think you probably got the picture already:)
Nick
Nick
news:1171327877....@j27g2000cwj.googlegroups.com:
> We must of course give them credit for being more creative than
> Thaksin's 30-baht medical treatment scheme. These guys have an
> election to win. They can worry about the departing foreign investors
> later on.
How would you know they would run in an election? If you would say they
have sympathy to win, sure no doubt about that.
Nick
snipped
Coldpen
When you read about "Thai trade", who do the trade? How much does the
Government do?
When you read about "foreign currency reserves", who do the reserve? What
does the reserve mean? Can they spend it?
How much does the Government have to spend year, just to survive?
rinpoche
On Feb 13, 6:59 pm, Nick <nicknom...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Nick
news:45d239d3$0$5745$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au:
>
> "Nick" <nickn...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns98D66C...@213.75.12.135...
>> "Coldpen" <col...@hotmail.com> wrote in
>> news:45d10578$0$5743$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au:
>>
>> snipped
>>
>>>
>>> Thaksin already spent all money, Nick.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> So all these numbers that one read at times about a Thai trade
>> surplus are just bogus?
>> Numbers about foreign currency reserves are just bogus?
>> Budgets can't be allocated differently?
>> I could go on and on but I think you probably got the picture
>> already:)
>>
>> Nick
>
> When you read about "Thai trade", who do the trade?
Mostly Thai companies, some of them state companies.
> How much does the Government do?
I wouldn't know how much government owned companies actually contribute
to the foreign trade and the Thai trade surplus or to the foreign
currency reserves held by the Thai government.
The point I was trying to make to you, but I realize I failed at that,
was that things aren't going that bad for Thailand as a country. It's not
a country like Laos or some poor African country that belong to the least
developed countries, that's why I have my doubts about K. Mongkol na
Songkhla declaring an emergency also considering that they speak of
saving only about $ 24.000.000,00.
Do you remember in the aftermath of the tsunami that K. Thaksin declared
Thailand didn't need any financial help, help that as I understand was
offered freely. Did the financial situation really importantly change for
the worse since than?
> When you read about "foreign currency reserves", who do the reserve?
> What does the reserve mean? Can they spend it?
Well those reserves that are being held by Thai government institutions
can be used, e.g. as collateral for loans to finance public health
expenditures.
The Thai government could use funds they hold to spend on public health.
> How much does the Government have to spend year, just to survive?
>
>
I'm not sure what the budget is but what does "just to survive" mean
anyway?
Would "just survive" e.g. include funds to finance a special force to
protect national security
against the "undercurrents"?
IMHO it's basically simple, the governments has some tasks it wants/needs
to perform and budgets in order to set a financial framework for its
operations.
Sometimes funds for these tasks are running out as expenditures are
bigger than planned and/or income is less than planned, so they have to
curb their spending and/or find additional financing.
In this particular case one can wonder if the way the Thai government is
trying to curb expenditures is the correct way and if it wouldn't be
better to find additional financing or
allocate budgets differently.
Even the WHO cautioned Thailand against the specific way of Thailand to
try to curb the
expenditures.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=62396&nfid=crss
To just say like you do: "Thaksin already spent all money" and than
basically expect foreigners to foot the bill for part of this
overspending as I understand you to agree with K. Mongkol na Songkhla
actions seems not quite right to me.
Anyway I don't think Thaksin spent all the money, what is "all the money
anyway"?
As far as I know Thailand still enjoys a good credit rating and as I
wrote earlier "budgets can't be allocated differently?".
Nick
Nick
news:1171410842.1...@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
> I would call it winning support and not just sympathy.
Yea, maybe support is a better word.
Nick
Coldpen
Nick, I've heard that the government has has a difficulty to manage salary
for all their officials throughout the country. It has happened since
Thaksin unnecessarily rushed to return IMF debt by using all money in the
pocket. Moreover, he promised lots of MEGA-projects unawaring the source of
money. All these was just to gain his opularity. You should know that the
budget for officials' salary should be considered as the first priority. I
also have heard that, at the moment, Thailand runs by cheques and bonds, not
cash. (sorry, don't know those technical terms foor economics) I wish you
understand my words "just to survive" now.
Deckard
wrote:
>Nick, I've heard that the government has has a difficulty to manage salary
>for all their officials throughout the country. It has happened since
>Thaksin unnecessarily rushed to return IMF debt by using all money in the
>pocket. Moreover, he promised lots of MEGA-projects unawaring the source of
>money. All these was just to gain his opularity. You should know that the
>budget for officials' salary should be considered as the first priority. I
>also have heard that, at the moment, Thailand runs by cheques and bonds, not
>cash. (sorry, don't know those technical terms foor economics) I wish you
>understand my words "just to survive" now.
>
I totally disagree on your point, CP.
Paying the IMF debt was an urgent task and Thaksin - along with his
predecessors - made it perfectly. Don't forget that Malaysia did it
before Thailand, although by different means, and that was a source of
severe loss of face for the Kingdom.
Of course, the junta-sponsorised government cut off some funds just
because they were put by Thaksin Shinawatra!
For instance, the 3-digit lottery that the putchists have considered
as immoral (one can wonder on which basis). Now 2/3 of the poor
village students that would have benefited from this money will be put
out of this educational scheme. You can think that the putchists don't
care about popularity but IMO they are a real disaster for your
country and its future!
Mort
Chabon 19
> On Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:26:08 +1100, "Coldpen" <cold...@hotmail.com>
One could wonder where the expression: IMMORAL comes from - the
present Government did say that it was not according to the Law of the
Kingdom...
Immoral as definition is or was mostly used in Christian/Muslim
circles, where basically every fun is described as immoral...
Chabby
Nick
news:45d2b996$0$9775$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au:
snipped
>>
>
> Nick, I've heard that the government has has a difficulty to manage
> salary for all their officials throughout the country. It has happened
> since Thaksin unnecessarily rushed to return IMF debt by using all
> money in the pocket. Moreover, he promised lots of MEGA-projects
> unawaring the source of money. All these was just to gain his
> opularity. You should know that the budget for officials' salary
> should be considered as the first priority. I also have heard that, at
> the moment, Thailand runs by cheques and bonds, not cash. (sorry,
> don't know those technical terms foor economics) I wish you understand
> my words "just to survive" now.
>
>
You want to argue that the government has trouble paying salaries to
civil servants since 2003 (the year the IMF debt was paid)?
I doubt that very much.
Furthermore the debt had to be paid in 2004 anyway (the debt was repaid
one year earlier, so how can this early repayment have much effect in
2007?
Isn't this junta ready to launch some mega projects to "jumpstart" the
economy, where's the difference with the Thaksin administration in that
respect?
As for bonds many governments use bonds to finance a state household, I
don't see anything particularly alarming about that per se.
Sorry to say I still don't understand your words "just to survive" and I
think it's a pity you don't react to my remarks about foreigners having
to foot the bill and a different allocation of budgets.
Nick
Chaisone@hotmail.com Sue Chaisone
or Emily Chaisone.
And after the FREE blowjob, they can enjoy a FREE ride on the buffalo with
my pimp, Bryan S. Chaisone
Bryan & Sue S.Chaisone
219 Hillsdale Dr
Sterling VA 20164-1221
(703) 4446233
Here is a picture of the Sue Chaisone, the ugly whore:
http://img168.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=30021_Sue_122_536lo.jpg
Here is a picture of the Bryan Chaisone, the dumbass riding on his buffalo
trough the streets of Manassas
http://img168.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=72648_Somchai_122_573lo.jpg
**************************************************
Please visit our new group:
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"Deckard" <Bl...@Runner.com> wrote in message
news:45d425af...@news.free.fr...
Coldpen
I have no idea, Nick. That's what I've heard and wanted to share.
Nick
@news.optusnet.com.au:
>
> "Nick" <nickn...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns98D7B2...@213.75.12.135...
>> "Coldpen" <col...@hotmail.com> wrote in
>> news:45d2b996$0$9775$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au:
>>
smipped
>
> I have no idea, Nick. That's what I've heard and wanted to share.
>
>
>
It's up to you but you might consider checking your sources, too bad you
don't seem willing to share your opinion on why foreigners should foot the
bill for problems Thais encounter.
Nick
Coldpen
Coldpen
That is because I really don't understand what you mean by "FOOT the bill
fot problems". Who is your "foreigners" and "Thai encounter"? Could you
please make it easier to understand?
rinpoche
Coldpen
rush of paying debt by emptying pocket"?
"rinpoche" <webm...@knapsack.net> wrote in message
news:1171504663.7...@a34g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
rinpoche
yourself. Regardless of whether your government has money, no money or
claims to have no money, foreigners who have invested heavily in
biomedical R&D are not obliged to give you anything for free. They
have even less reason to do so if your leaders act like arrogant and
lawless despots.
On Feb 15, 8:46 am, "Coldpen" <cold...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> That is because I really don't understand what you mean by "FOOT the bill
> fot problems". Who is your "foreigners" and "Thai encounter"? Could you
> please make it easier to understand?- Hide quoted text -
Coldpen
<snip>
Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla told Reuters a ministry panel was
studying drugs Thailand needed and could make or buy copies of while
haggling for "appropriate" prices of patented versions.
"If they give us a certain amount of discount, we won't do it," Mongkol
said, referring to compulsory licenses governments are allowed to issue
to domestic firms to produce generic versions of drugs in emergencies.
"We don't call this a threat, but a negotiation for the country's
benefit," Mongkol said in a telephone interview.
<snip>
Who ask them for free medicine?
"rinpoche" <webm...@knapsack.net> wrote in message
news:1171514916.8...@a75g2000cwd.googlegroups.com...
lobert
If the junta is really concerned about "Immoral", they should ask the king to
allow them to close all sex workers establishments in Thailand.
Deckard
I think that gambling (for money) is neither seen as moral by
Bhuddists but I'm not sure about this. IMO 'morality' is not
specifically a monotheistic thing but 'vice' is certainly one.
I don't remember that the present government has ever said the 3-
digit lottery was illegal because at that time there was a debate that
these lotteries would be then controlled by underground gangs.
Mort
Sue Chaisone
or Emily Chaisone.
And after the FREE blowjob, they can enjoy a FREE ride on the buffalo with
my pimp, Bryan S. Chaisone
Bryan & Sue S.Chaisone
219 Hillsdale Dr
Sterling VA 20164-1221
(703) 4446233
Here is a picture of the Sue Chaisone, the ugly whore:
http://img168.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=30021_Sue_122_536lo.jpg
Here is a picture of the Bryan Chaisone, the dumbass riding on his buffalo
trough the streets of Manassas
http://img168.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=72648_Somchai_122_573lo.jpg
**************************************************
Please visit our new group:
http://groups.google.com/group/abuse-aware-aid?hl=en
abuse-a...@googlegroups.com
"Deckard" <Bl...@Runner.com> wrote in message
news:45d55d63....@news.free.fr...