Compulsory Licensing Solution to Patients' Access?

"WORLD BANK HAS ESTIMATED THAT THAILAND COULD REDUCE THE COST OF SECOND-LINE THERAPY BY 90% IF IT INTRODUCED COMPULSORY LICENSES FOR ALL THE DRUGS IT NEEDS"

Civil society organizations, in particular HIV/AIDS NGOs in Northern Thailand, will convene a Forum on May 29 to share views and adopt a common position on compulsory licensing.

The Forum comes in the wake of the Thai government's recent decision to issue compulsory licences on drugs to treat HIV (i.e. Kaletra, and efavirenz) and heart disease (i.e. Plavix). Compulsory licences are legal documents entitling a country to manufacture or import generic copies of drugs considered essential to human health.

The decision received worldwide support from civil society organizations involved in HIV/AIDS work, but was heavily criticized by the US government and pharmaceutical companies.

Thai civil society organisations, led by people living with HIV, have over the years campaigned for the introduction of compulsory licensing of HIV drugs in order to reduce the cost of antiretroviral treatment in Thailand.

Since October 2003, the Thai government has had a policy of universal coverage for antiretroviral treatment; patients receive their drugs free of charge.

Thailand has over 500,000 people living with HIV, and 80,000 are already receiving antiretroviral treatment, i.e., a generic drug called GPO-VIR. This first line treatment or first line therapy is a medical therapy recommended for the initial treatment of the disease.

Approximately 12,000 HIV positive people in the country have developed drug resistance to the first line treatment. Second line therapy (treatment that is given when first-line therapy doesn't work, or stops working) is the only option when HIV positive people develop drug resistance otherwise they die.

The Thai government says the current market price for second line therapy is too high - about $2,200 or 73,000 baht - per person per year and that it cannot afford the huge cost.

By breaking the patent on Kaletra, the Thai government estimates it would save 8,000 lives per year, by making distribution possible to people who cannot afford it through the country's public health care system.

The World Bank has estimated that Thailand could reduce the cost of second-line therapy by 90% if it introduced compulsory licenses for all the drugs it needs in second-line therapy, saving itself $3.2 billion over the next 20 years.

Many countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Mozambique and Zambia, have broken or have threatened to break patents on drugs for HIV and other infectious diseases.

The May Monthly NGO Forum will focus on the issue of compulsory licensing and adopt a common position shared by NGOs in Northern Thailand.

The Forum is organized by the Northern NGO Coalition on AIDS (NNCA), Health & Development Networks (HDN), The Upper Northern Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+), The Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) AIDS Ministry (CAM), AIDSNet Foundation, Maewang River Lowland People Community Radio Station (MLCR), Faith Based Organizations and other partnerships.

Main speakers at the event will be:

- Mr. John Ungpakorn, ex-senator and secretary of AIDSAccess Foundation
- Mr. Arnan Muangmoonchai, chairman of The Upper Northern Thai Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (TNP+).
- Dr Prawate Khidarn, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
- Asst. Prof Sanyalux Panvatalikit, PAYAP University Faculty of Law Lecturer

Ms. Sureerat Treemankra, a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC) will moderate the forum.

Please come and participate in this Monthly NGO Forum.

Together we are stronger. Come and make you voices heard.

NGO Forum Details:

Topic: Is Compulsory Licensing the Solution to Patients' Access to Treatment?
Date: Tuesday, 29 May 2007
Time: 1.00-4.30 pm.
Location: Rattanakosin Hotel, A.Muang, Chiang Mai

To register and for more information RSVP at: 053-418438 ext.110
Email: actioncentre@hdnet.org

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BY: Health and Development Networks, www.hdnet.org , email: actioncentre@hdnet.org

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