Drug savings run into the billions
The government is able to save more than Bt1.6 billion annually on three medications used to treat patients suffering from HIV/Aids and heart disease, which are among the top killers in the country, under the compulsory licensing (CL) provisions, a senior official said.
Dr Sa-nguan Nityarumpong, secretary-general of the National Health Security Office (NHSC), said Thailand can save Bt1 billion to Bt1.7 billion annually on Efavirenz, Kaletra and Plavix medicines used by government-sponsored "gold card" holders. The HIV/Aids drug Efavirenz was used by about 25,000 patients during fiscal year 2006, which ended on September 30 last year, and not less than 30,000 patients are expected to use 360,000 bottles of this medicine during the current fiscal year. The Public Health Ministry anticipates that it could save as much as Bt252 million. During the 2006 fiscal year, the NHSC bought 12,000 bottles of the HIV drug Kaletra at a cost of Bt8,900 per bottle and has projected purchase of 96,000 units of the medicine during the current 2007 fiscal year, he said. By enforcing compulsory licensing, the government can save about Bt183 million. It is estimated that the ministry will use 20.5 million tablets of the anti-clotting agent Plavix for 45 million gold card patients this year, which could save it Bt1.23 billion by using compulsory licensing. The ministry has already broken the patent for Efavirenz, sold by US-based pharmaceutical giant Merck, while it has been in negotiations with the patent holders of two other medicines.
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