Is the FDA a threat to your health? Fight for Your Health, Exposing the FDA's betrayal of America by Byron Richards. "This book should be read by every American." - Mike Adams, editor, NaturalNews.com Learn the uncensored truth about: The corruption of top FDA officials Why the FDA is a danger to public safety How drug companies conspire with the FDA to discredit alternatives How the FDA uses scientific fraud and censorship to fool the public How we can WIN the war on health freedom and take back our future! Receive two free gifts when you order from us, including Mike Adams' "Top Ten Ways to Protect Your Health Freedom" checklist. Click here to learn more

Though Merck -- which holds the patent on Efavirenz -- criticized the military Thai government's decision to make its own cheaper version of the anti-retroviral drug, health advocates and AIDS activists commended the Health Ministry.

"This is both a brave and a progressive step by the Royal Thai Government to place the interests of people living with HIV in Thailand front and center," said UNAIDS country coordinator Patrick Brenny.

The Thai government -- headed by the military after a September coup to oust former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- declared a "national emergency" under World Trade Organization rules that allow governments to issue compulsory licenses to manufacture patented drugs without consent from the patent holder. Merck will receive a royalty of 0.5 percent on sales of its generic version of the drug, which will cost half what Merck charged for Efavirenz.

Thailand's national drug program, which treats 82,000 of the 580,000 HIV/AIDS patients in the country, has gained international recognition for its efficacy. However, as AIDS patients live longer and foreign drug companies boost prices, the government has struggled with costs.

Thawat Suntrajarn, head of the Health Ministry's Department of Disease Control, said foreign companies' prices are "very high, making it a big hurdle for patients to access [HIV/AIDS drugs] and the government cannot afford them. In the long run [patients] need this anti-retroviral drug to live a normal life like others."

Consumer health advocate Mike Adams, a vocal critic of intellectual property rights for pharmaceuticals, said more and more countries are beginning to question the patent protection pharmaceutical companies are granted for chemical compounds.

"When it comes to AIDS and public health, most people in the world believe that drugs should be open source and available to the public at non-monopolistic prices," Adams said. "But drug companies want to soak the population for as much money as they can, without consideration for whether people have AIDS, cancer or other diseases.

"They want to enforce profiteering prices on everyone, and they use the protection of intellectual property patents to get away with it," he said.

Merck claims it makes no profits off Efavirenz in Thailand, and that the Thai government did not contact the company to attempt to resolve the cost problems before issuing the generic production license.

According to a World Bank study of the Thai drug program, the government took a risk in overriding Merck's patent, as the decision could result in trade repercussions. However, supporters of the generic manufacturing license say the move could bolster Thailand's ability to negotiate lower prices with other drug firms.

###

Related Articles

Popular Topics: AIDS, Merck, Thailand, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury	Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com Email this article to a friend Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/021232.html Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link. <a href = "http://www.NaturalNews.com/021232.html">Thailand issues license to manufacture generic version of Efavirenz; snubs Merck AIDS drug monopoly</a>
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber! Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more. Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.	Your Email Address: Free Subscription Code: Enter the numbers you see: 100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime. Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.
Recommended Special Report: Seven Words that can Change the World by Joseph R. Simonetta Read this special report now... "Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com	More on NaturalNews.com: • Streaming Health Ranger Videos • CounterThink Cartoons • FREE Special Reports • Podcasts