Nicholas Zamiska, “Thai Ministry to Recommend Ignoring Patents on Cancer Drugs,” Wall Street Journal, 11 March 2008.

Nopporn Wong-Anan, “Thailand Will Override Cancer Drug Patents,” Reuters, 10 March 2008.

Thailand’s health minister, Chaiya Sasomsap, is urging the government to continue issuing compulsory licenses, in particular for drugs to treat cancer. As such, Novartis has agreed to freely supply Glivec to hundreds of Thai patients in order to preserve their intellectual property rights. Teera Chakajnarodom, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, a trade group in Bangkok, condemned the action: “They should bring back the image of Thailand as a country that respects” intellectual-property rights.

In 2006, compulsory licenses were issued for the AIDS medications, Efavirenz and Aluvia, produced by Merck and Abbott Laboratories, respectively.


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