GPO makes Bt1.1 bn in profits from drugs

According to Witit, GPO recorded Bt6.2 billion in sales this year, a fair increase from the Bt5.44 billion sold a year earlier. Witit expects sales to rise to Bt6.7 billion in the next fiscal year.

Aside from supplying medication to hospitals in Thailand, GPO also exports to Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Nigeria, Malaysia and Burma.

"Many countries have expressed an interest in the thalassaemia med¬ication we have produced," Witit added.

He said GPO had achieved impressive sales this year despite the reduc¬tion in the price of several products.

"The price for 17 medicines was reduced by 7 to 40 per cent," Witit said.

He also revealed that GPO had already ordered a second lot of Clopidogrel from an Indian supplier. Clopidogrel, one of the five lifesav¬ing drugs that the government has declared compulsory licensing on, is often used in the treatment of coro¬nary artery disease, peripheral vascu¬lar disease and cerebrovascular disease.

"This lot consists of two million tablets of Clopidogrel at the cost of Bt0.9 each," Witit said, a fair bit cheaper than the first lot of 1.4 mil¬lion tablets bought at Bt1.06 each.

Witit said the GPO had placed a second order for the drug, after see¬ing how it flew off the shelves the first time around.

Meanwhile, lab tests have con¬firmed that the lung and breastcan¬cer drug Docetaxel, bought from another Indian supplier, was safe and will also be given compulsory licens¬ing.

"Docetaxel should reach patients via state hospitals by October 10," Witit said.