Bangkok-based health advocacy groups yesterday began a mass public campaign to boycott giant US drug-maker Abbott Laboratories and vowed to bring the campaign to a global level.

The company withdrew its applications for registration of its new drugs in Thailand in protest at the government's decision to use compulsory licensing for the company's blockbuster Aids medication.

The health groups, including the powerful Rural Doctors Society which once brought down a public health minister, a group representing pharmacists around the country, the globally-respected Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and various consumer networks vowed to boycott Abbott products until the company changed its mind.

Kannikar Kitjiwatchakul, an access campaigner at the MSF Bangkok office, said MSF offices around the world are now discussing whether to raise the boycott campaign to a global level.

Saree Aongsomwang, manager of the Foundation for Consumers, said more than 220 members of Consumers International in 115 countries would join the boycott.

"Since Abbott has challenged Thailand and shown it doesn't care about Thai consumers, please stop using any of its products," she said. "This act by Abbott is totally unacceptable. Please don't ignore this pressure against the government over stopping what really benefits the consumer."

"If things go like this, they will certainly face a tireless boycott," said activist Rosana Tositrakul, who represents the Thai Holistic Health Foundation.

Based in Illinois, Abbott is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies and enjoys good profits with its blockbuster Kaletra, an anti-retro viral drug used for people living with HIV/Aids. The company also has a large market share in Thailand with four leading pharmaceutical products: antibiotics such as Erytab and Klacid, the pain killer Brufen, and the slimming pill Reductil.

It was not known how many of Abbot's drugs still had exclusive rights to be sold under patent protection in Thailand.

Dr Kriengsak Vacharanukulki-eti, who heads the Rural Doctors Society, said the group would circulate a letter to doctors at all hospitals across the country asking them to join in the boycott of Abbott's products and consider prescribing generic versions of the company's medicines, or from other companies where possible.

The health group also warned other transnational drug companies that were considering similar actions.

"It's not worth risking your company's reputation like Abbott is doing," said Dr Tul Sittisomwong, a health activist.

The campaign to boycott Abbott will be spread throughout the country and include publishing a list of the company's products and public education activities about the boycott, Saree said.

Apart from medicines, Abbott also markets food supplements and baby formulas and powdered milk for young children, as well as animal health products. The groups are calling on the public to stop buying them, said Nimitr Tien-udom of Aids Access, a non-government organisation on HIV/Aids.

"May I ask all people to join hands and we then will win over such an immoral drug company," Nimitr said.

Abbott has withdrawn its application in Thailand for new seven medicines, including a new formulation of Kaletra for the treatment of Aids. The six other drugs are the painkiller Brufen; an antibiotic called Abbotic; Clivarine to prevent blood clots; the arthritis drug Humira, and the high- blood pressure drugs Tarka and Zemplar for patients with kidney disease.

The company notified the Thai government a few weeks ago after talks between the two sides broke down, the Wall Street Journal reported last week, citing an informed source.

"As a patient myself, I find this act of Abbott so inhumane," said Subil Noksakul from a network of Thai patients with kidney disease. He said patients in the network were going to ask their doctors to stop giving them Abbott's medicines and use other drugs instead.

Reuters reported on March 15 that Germany's Bayer supported Abbott's decision to stop launching new drugs in Thailand in protest at the army-backed government's move to override international drug patents.

"I fully support Abbott and I fully support the very strong stance the industry is taking. This is not the way forward," Arthur Higgins, the head of Bayer's healthcare unit, told Reuters.

"I do not believe it is in the long-term interest of the Thai people because Abbot has already said they will not bring any other new products to the Thai market. That is what will happen." However, he would not say whether Bayer would also withdraw its applications for new drugs in Thailand if one of its drugs was affected.

In 2005, Bayer generated sales of Bt36.3 billion in Thailand.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla in January lifted the patent protection for the HIV/Aids drug Kaletra made by United States-based Abbott Laboratories and the anti-clotting agent Plavix, made by Sanofi-Aventis of France and Bristol-Myers Squibb of the US.

The decision was praised by international health advocate agencies including the World Health Organisation and MSF.

Abbott Laboratories' office in Bangkok was not available for comment yesterday.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation