Bangkok Blinks: Is A Merck Deal At Hand?

Thailand may revoke the compulsory license issued for a generic version of Merck’s Efavirenz AIDS drugs after upbeat talks with the drugmaker. Thailand’s Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla says Merck reps proposed several options that could lead to a “win-win” solution for both sides. ”Who wants to buy generic drugs for treating patients if the original drug is more affordable?” he tells The Bangkok Post. His unexpected comment came just one day after he said the trip to the US had failed to make any inroads into ending the disagreements between Thailand and drugmakers. US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez reportedly pressured Mongkol to abandon compulsory licensing. Thailand’s Public Health Ministry last November issued a compulsory licence to import a generic version of Efavirenz from Indian drug maker Ranbaxy which would cost about 25 percent less than the brand-name version per month per patient.

News selected by Covalence | Country: Thailand | Company: Merck & Co, Inc | Source: Pharmalot