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Published on February 13, 2008

Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab had told the Cabinet the ministry was planning to revise the plan.

Samak cited a confidential letter from the Commerce Ministry, which expressed concern over the international commercial status of Thailand with the United States. Licensing the drugs might see the country put on the high priority watch list.

He said the former government's health minister Mong-kol na Songkhla had used improper procedures to an-nounce the CL.

The correct process in-volved approval by the ministers of Commerce, Foreign Affairs and Health.

"I've just become prime minister, but I now have to face problems with the compulsory licensing issue," he complained at the meeting.

Samak said he asked Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Ming-khwan Sangsuwan to hold a meeting with the relevant ministries to discuss the issue. The meeting will be held after the Cabinet has stated the government' s policy to the Parlia-ment.

Chaiya said the Commerce Ministry informed the Cabinet about the impact of imposing compulsory licensing, but did not go into detail.

He questioned the methods of the former health minister who approved the enforcement of CL on the same day the former prime minister stepped down.

"It was an unusual and improper process," he said.

A group of 200 health activists and patients gathered yesterday in front of Government House to protest the new health minister's plan to revise the compulsory licensing.

The Thai Network of People Living with HIV/Aids president, Wirat Phurahong, said the information that Chaiya received from the drug firms was incorrect.

He said Mongkol na Songkhla had followed the proper process to impose CL for three cancer drugs and if Chaiya withdrew it, civic groups would protest outside the Health Ministry.

"We want him to stand by our side and pay attention to the benefits for patients more than pharmaceutical companies," he said.

The last government had imposed CL on four cancer drugs, including docetaxel, produced by Sanofi-Aventis, erlotinib, manufactured by Roche, and lectrozole and imatinib, made by Novartis. These drugs are used to treat lung cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer and leukaemia.

Docetaxel costs Bt26,500 per 89mg injection, but the generic version costs Bt4,000. Erlotinib costs between Bt2,800 and Bt3,000 per tablet, whereas the generic version costs between Bt275 and Bt735. Letrozole costs Bt230 per tablet, while the generic version is priced between Bt7 and Bt10.

For Imatinib, the health ministry later withdrew enforcement after Norvartis offered to provide free cancer drugs to patients who suffered from gastric cancer and leukaemia under the universal health care scheme.

The ministry has negotiated 13 price reductions with pharmaceutical companies since last October.

Chaiya said he would now renew the negotiations and will follow the guidelines of the former health minister to ask drug firms to reduce their prices.

Wanaree Kotsachan,

Chuleeporn Ararmnet,

Duangkamon Sajirawattanakul

The Nation