compulsory licensingFight over drug patents heats upActivists angry at EU trade rep

Phublished on August 23,2007

Thai health activists and international health advocacy groups will send letters next week to try to find out why a key member of the European Commission recently sent a let¬ter to the Commerce Minister protesting about Thailand's move to issue compulsory licences to avoid drug patents.

Lawan Sarovat, deputy med¬icine coordinator at Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) Belgium in Thailand, said the move was to fight EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

Mandelson broke a resolu¬tion of the EU Parliament issued on July 12, saying the EU would endorse developing countries' right to fully imple¬ment a World Trade Organisation deal on intellec¬tual property rights to promote access to medicines for all.

On August 10, Mandelson sent a letter to Krirkkrai Jirapaet, saying the EU was concerned the Thai govern¬ment's move "would be detri¬mental to the patent system, and so to innovation and devel¬opment of new medicine".

Lawan said MSF and Oxfam, one of the biggest nongovernment groups in the UK, would send a joint letter next week directly to Mandelson and the president of the European Parliament.

"We want to know what is the motive behind Mandelson's letter, what made him break the resolution of the EU."

Thai activists also plan to write a letter. Jiraporn Limpananond, chairman of the Foundation for Consumers, said Mandelson's letter was an intervention in Thai affairs.

Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol na Songkhla wrote back to Mandelson and the EU president on August 12 to explain the country's policy on compulsory licensing (CL). He insisted that Thailand would purchase patented drugs if patent holders sell them at prices 5 per cent above the low¬estpriced generic.

He also asked about the EU's recommendations to imple¬ment compulsory licences, as many European countries have implemented them on medi¬cines from the global biotech¬nology investment community.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont called for an urgent meeting of all agencies on Friday to discuss the issue. Aside from the EU move, the PM also received a letter of protest last month from the US ambassador on the matter.

Pennapa Hongthong

 The Nation