Thailand's new government is pressing ahead with the previous government's plans to enforce the compulsory licensing of several anti-cancer medications, a move that effectively breaks the patents held by drug companies.rnThe decision by Thailand's Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab followed pressure from health activists and came despite opposition from the diplomatic and business communities, who warned that it could damage Thailand's reputation and hurt trade arrangements. "The Public Health Ministry's standpoint is public access to affordable medicine," Chaiya told reporters at a March 10 press conference.rnThe policy was designed by the previous government to bypass the patents on four cancer medications: Roche/ Genentech's erlotinib (branded as Tarceva); Sanofi-Aventis's docetaxel (branded as Taxotere); Novartis's imatinib (branded as Gleevec); and Novartis's letrozole (branded as Femara).rnChaiya said he made the decision after a study of cancer patients and treatment costs showed that the Thai government would save about 3 billion baht (US$96 million) annually.
展开▼
