Thomas Fuller writes in "In the Drug Wars, Abbot Blinks," for The New York Times on Thailand's compulsory licensing strategy:

Thailand's aggressive stance could be paving the way for other developing countries to force pharmaceutical giants in Europe and the United States to lower drug prices.

When Thailand announced this year that it was breaking patents on drugs to treat HIV and heart disease, Western pharmaceutical companies reacted with fury. Abbott Laboratories, the maker of the HIV drug Kaletra, took the radical step of withdrawing all of its new products from Thailand, depriving Thais of access to new drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease and high blood pressure.

"Thailand has chosen to break patents on numerous medicines, ignoring the patent system," said Jennifer Smoter, a spokeswoman for Abbott, which is based near Chicago.

"As such, we've elected not to introduce new medicines there," she said.

But two months after the uproar began, there are signs that Thailand has the upper hand.

The article goes on to discuss this development as a negotiating strategy. But there is no commentary whatsoever on the long-term consequences of this for investment in treatments for serious illnesses. Or on the drug companies ability to cut prices even further for poorer countries than Thailand.

More analysis from Philip Stevens.

And more on Thailand from the Posthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/10/AR2007041000569.html.

Meanwhile, in India, signs that the country is emerging as a leader in biotech research.

posted by Solveig Singleton @ 9:31 AM | International

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