THAILAND BOOSTS COPY ARVS PROGRAMME

Thailand is to expand its low-cost HIV/AIDS treatment programme, lowering the cost of a new single-dose ARV to roughly US$1. The country has about 500,000 sufferers, and a large number are now developing full-blown AIDS. In recent years, treatment schemes have targeted low-income patients, although the government is aiming to introduce universal coverage at the US$1 fee by October.

The scheme is likely to rely on copy drugs manufactured by state-owned local leader Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), which already exports ARVs to neighbouring countries such as Cambodia. Foreign companies have complained that the GPO already enjoys a number of advantages, including preference in government tenders and some exemptions from the normal regulatory standards. Thailand's lax regulation — such as weak data exclusivity laws and ineffective registration requirements for copies — are a major source of criticism.

Meanwhile, the government has insisted that a prospective Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US should not include reference to pharmaceuticals. Specifically, US trade officials have claimed that the treaty will not restrict access to "generic" ARVs. The monthly cost of ARV treatment in Thailand has already fallen from US$250 to US$30 in recent years, with generics now accounting for 80% of local sales volume.