Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - March 6, 2001
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
Speaking on behalf of the activists, Senator Jon Ungphakorn said the Communicable Diseases Control Department could use its budget for triple-drug combinations to purchase similar generic drugs for 100,000 more sufferers.
The department is currently providing 1,500 patients, or less than 1% of Aids/HIV sufferers, with a combination of anti-retroviral drugs.
The project, which costs 240 million baht, will provide eight different combinations of drugs including AZT, 3TC, ddI, d4T, as well as protease inhibitors.
"Instead of purchasing the drugs from multinational firms on negotiation, the ministry should buy cheaper generic drugs and encourage the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation to produce similar drugs," the senator said.
Aids activists and sufferers met Deputy Health Minister Suraphong Suebwonglee and asked him to look into obstacles obstructing the GPO from manufacturing anti-Aids drugs.
"These drugs are not patented in Thailand and, therefore, it could not be considered wrong under WTO agreements to manufacture generic drugs or support parallel imports."
The senator said the market price of the drug has not been reduced much even though multinational firms agreed to sell them to the ministry at a low price.
"This means other patients with HIV, a much larger number of them, can't access the drugs."
Meanwhile, 30 Aids activists yesterday approached the South African embassy to support its government's fight against 39 multinational pharmaceutical firms which sued the state for supporting compulsory licensing and parallel imports of drugs.
Since most Aids drugs are patented in South Africa, the drug companies felt the law went against earlier laws which protected their patents.
The South African high court yesterday began considering the case, which will continue until March 13.
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