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Published on August 26, 2007

"The new government must seriously consider compulsory licensing as a core national policy," said Jiraporn Limpananont, a researcher at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Health activists and academics are watching all political parties out of concern about the new government and the future of compulsory licensing in Thailand after the general election, she said.

Thailand issued compulsory licences late last year for Efavirenz, Kaletra and Plavix from Merck's MSD (Thailand), Abbot Laboratories and Sanofi-Aventis. The first two drugs are for Aids and the last for heart disease.

Achara Eksaengsri, deputy director of the Research and Development Institute of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, said it would be easy for the next government to issue compulsory licences for the next new drug because the Public Health Ministry had succeeded with the heart-disease drug and could import a cheap version.

Montri Chulavatnatol, chairman of the chemical and pharmaceutical-science research group of the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT), said the government had to consider the future of medicine and healthcare when the compulsory licensing period expired.

It should invest in new drug discoveries and development projects to reduce drug imports, otherwise compulsory licensing will still be needed for some drugs, he said.

Jomjin Chantrasakul, a senior pharmaceutical researcher at the NRCT, said it was difficult for local companies to introduce new drugs because of the high cost of development and lack of funding and support from the government.

All of the 164 drug companies in Thailand are generic manufacturers, which is why the country still needs to buy drugs overseas that are mostly sold here at triple the original price, he said.

Thailand needs to improve and develop drug research and eliminate obstacles to investment by local pharmaceutical companies in making new drugs to prevent a health crisis after the end of compulsory licensing, he added.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The nation