Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - September 5, 2004
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul
The order has not yet been confirmed because GPO-VIR, produced by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, a state enterprise under the Public Health Ministry, has to pass standards set by the US Food and Drug Administration.
A team of USFDA researchers have already been here to observe quality standards of the locally-made ARV drugs, and plan at least another two visits.
But Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan is already upbeat about the move by Washington and hopes the US agency is in the process of conducting fast track approval of the standard.
"The US intention to buy GPO-VIR from us will open a new opportunity for Thailand to promote the effectiveness of our locally-made anti-retroviral therapy for HIV patients without costing them too much," she said.
Mrs Sudarat was, however, concerned that production capacity of the state drug factory might not be able to meet both local and foreign demand.
Production capacity of GPO-VIR is enough for only 100,000 local patients.
The cocktail drugs, which cost 1,250 baht a month, are being distributed to poor patients upcountry under a pilot project.
She appointed deputy permanent secretary Pakdee Pothisiri to devise a plan to increase capacity for export without affecting local demand.
Thongchai Tavichachart, the GPO secretary-general, said Washington had shown interest in using the Pepfar fund to buy low-cost medicine from Thailand during the International Aids Conference in mid-July.
The new state pharmaceutical factory, which is expected to increase production capacity of GPO-VIR, is currently under construction. It is expected to be completed by next year, he said.
The Bush administration initiated the project worth US$15 billion to prevent a HIV pandemic and assist Aids patients in 14 afflicted countries in Africa and the Caribbean.
Jiraporn Limpananont, an academic of Chulalongkorn University's faculty of pharmaceutical science, wondered if the Pepfar fund aimed at buying GPO-VIR would come with "too many strings attached".
"It's possible that Washington might use its investment in anti-retroviral therapy as part of its bilateral free trade agreement with Thailand. If the government is not well-prepared, the trade negotiation may affect our generic ARV production and HIV/Aids patients in the long run," she said.
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