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Thailand's Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday completed the
registration of a generic version of Abbott Laboratories' antiretroviral
drug Aluvia for use under the country's compulsory licensing program, the
Bangkok Post reports. The generic version is manufactured by Indian
pharmaceutical company Matrix Laboratories (Apiradee, Bangkok Post,
10/17). The Thai Ministry of Public Health in June confirmed that it would
continue with its plan to issue a compulsory license for the drug after
Abbott and the health ministry could not reach a price agreement during
negotiations.
The Thai government in January issued a compulsory license to produce a
lower-cost version of Abbott's Kaletra. The drug company in May offered to
sell Aluvia, an updated version of Kaletra, at a reduced price in Thailand
on the condition that the country agreed not to allow generic versions of
the drug into the market, Siriwat Thiptaradol, secretary-general of the
Thai FDA, said. Abbott offered to sell Aluvia for about 34,000 baht, or
$1,000, per person annually. Matrix offered to sell a generic version of
Aluvia to Thailand for 24,324 baht, or $695, per person annually (Kaiser
Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 6/7).
Vichai Chokewiwat, chair of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization and
the health ministry's Committee on Compulsory Licensing, said GPO soon
will import the first shipment of the generic version of Aluvia from
Matrix. According to Siriwat, the registration process took more than
three months to complete. The shipment from Matrix will include enough
doses of the drug for 8,000 people during the next six months, the Post
reports (Bangkok Post, 10/17). |
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