Thai govt approves generic versions of Kaletra, Plavix |
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Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:24
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BANGKOK (XFN-ASIA) - The health ministry said it has approved generic versions of the anti-AIDS drug Kaletra and the blockbuster heart drug Plavix.'We have already issued compulsory licenses for two drugs, Plavix and Kaletra, in order to make the price more affordable in Thailand. Right now, the price of these two drugs is very high,' a ministry spokesman said.The announcement follows Thailand's decision in November to allow generic versions of pharmaceutical giant Merck's high-priced HIV/AIDS drug Efavirenz.But the decision to break the patent for Plavix -- sold by French-based Sanofi-Aventis and its US partner, Bristol Myers-Squibb -- marks a departure from a global trend of trying to lower prices on AIDS drugs.Plavix, a blood-thinning treatment to prevent heart attacks, is believed to be the second-largest medication sold worldwide with global sales of 5.9 bln usd in 2005.A Canadian company briefly introduced a generic version last year before getting pulled from shelves due to court challenges over the patent's validity.AIDS activists and others had praised Thailand's decision to lower the cost of HIV treatments last year, but the latest decision drew sharp warnings from pharmaceutical firms who warned they would have to reconsider their investments in Thailand.'They are concerned about continuing to invest in a country where the government cannot provide a basic guarantee for the safety of their assets,' the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers' Association (PReMA) said last week.gs/gn/rc
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Judge considers Plavix patent validity 