Thailand, which has been in the eye of a global storm for over-riding patents on a handful of high-priced drugs, is banking on India's support in its fight to ensure that patients have access to life-saving medicines.
Sorachai Jamniandamrongkarn, an expert with Thailand's National Health Security Office (NHSO), which administers the country's universal healthcare programme for around 62 million people, says reluctance of some generic companies here to take up compulsory licences (CLs) for anti-cancer drugs has come as a major disappointment. "India is critical for us. Without Indian generic drugs companies we cannot fulfil Thailand's national programmes."
Since 2006, Thailand has issued licences for six patents for anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs for treating HIV/AIDS and cancer medication. The patent holders are Abbott for (Efavirenz-MSD, Lopinvar+ Ritonavir); Sanofi Aventis (Clopidogrel, Docetaxel); Roche (Erlotinib) and Novartis (Letrozole). Leading Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy was the first to be issued a CL in January last year and supplied 66,000 bottles of Efavirenz at less than half the cost of the patented drug. Matrix, too, supplied ARV drugs. But only one agreement has been signed subsequently.
The previous public health minister, Mongkol Na Songkhla, had visited India twice to push CLs. According to Thailand's Ministry of Health, the first visit was in December 2007, when the team had inspected the facilities of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Hetero Drugs, Dr. Reddy Laboratories, Natco Pharma, and the Serum Institute of India. In January this year, they held meetings with Dabur, which produces anti-cancer drugs.
Last month, the Thai Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), which is in charge of procuring medicines under CLs, signed a contract with Dabur for Doxetaxel. "So far we have not received Dabur's product," says Sorachai.
However, authorities are more hopeful of securing cancer drugs now since a new round of negotiations with Cadila Healthcare "are going better than the last time." Cadila makes cancer drugs.
According to NHSO official, the government is scheduled to issue the terms of reference for Erotinib this month and the GPO has contacted several Indian generic companies, including Natco, for the bid.
Sorachai said it was important for companies to understand that CLs were legal and did not violate WTO's agreement on Trade and Intellectual Property Rights (Trips). This view is endorsed by the World Health Organisation and most developed nations, including the European Union.
The Thai official, who was here to attend an international conference on ensuring access to medicines, says lack of response from Indian generics manufacturers to take up CLs had raised fears that they were coming under pressure from multinational patent holders. He did not name any company.
Pharmaceutical industry sources here admit that global drug majors have been exerting pressure, directly and indirectly, on companies. The sources said an increasing number of Indian companies here were entering into licensing arrangements with pharma MNCs and were, therefore, wary of upsetting their new business arrangements.
In 2007, Thailand spent $ 4,000 million on its three health programmes that cover a social security scheme, civil servants and a universal coverage scheme. "There is no way we can fulfil this programme unless we get cheap generic drugs from India," says Sorachai.
Thailand had explored the possibility of getting generics from Canada but these were found to be too expensive.
