An Executive Country Review: South East Asia An ... - EC Reviews

lished the use of trade-related aspects of
intellectual property rights (TRIPS)
agreements and reinforced the importance
of access to medicines while reaffirming
the ability of governments to use
the flexibilities available in TRIPS to ensure
the affordability of medicines.
Now the United States is pushing for
what is commonly referred to as “TRIPS-
Plus” allowing for a period of data exclusivity
of up to 11 years beyond the date a
generic version of a product would normally
begin to compete with the patent
holder.
According to a letter highlighting a
Thai survey and sent by the president of a
Malaysian consumers association to the
Malaysian Minister of Health in March
2006, “The Thai Ministry of Health has
done a study of the predicted impact of
the TRIPS-Plus provisions found in US
FTAs. It found that if generics were prevented
by data exclusivity from entering
the market for a period of ten years beyond
the date when patents normally ex-
pire, this would cost an extra $5400 million
(at wholesale prices) per year which
is 77% of the current total Thai health
expenditure.”
Furthermore, the adoption of TRIPS-
Plus provisions would greatly harm the
development of the local pharmaceutical
industry, which relies on being able to produce
bioequivalent products for its markets
under the current protection of the
TRIPS system and the other intellectual
property protection mechanisms.
This will be a sticky situation if the negotiation
favor international originators as
opposed to local generic manufacturers in
Southeast Asia. It is also a test of the ability
of the industry to mobilize itself across the
region, while facing a common threat.
Beyond this issue lies opportunities to
strengthen what is today a multitude of
medium-size players with different business
agendas into a more solid, forwardthinking
and opportunities-grabbing industry.
In turn, this should offer plenty of
areas of possible cooperation between international
companies, particularly US
and European, and the movers and shakers
who will emerge from these trying times.
For once, casting originators against
generic players might end up strengthening
the industry across the board.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Pharmaceutical Technology and Executive Country
Reviews would like to thank all companies and
organizations that helped for the preparation of
this review.
Indonesia: Novell Pharmaceutical Laboratories
www.novellpharm.com, Kalbe Farma,
www.kalbe.co.id, Soho Industri Pharmasi,
www.soho.co.id, Sanbe, www.sanbe-farma.com,
Mensa Group, www.mensa-group.com, Dexa
Medica, www.dexa-medica.com, Combiphar,
www.combiphar.com,
Malaysia: Kotra Pharma, www.kotrapharma.com,
Apex Healthcare, www.apexpharmacy.com,
Scanlab, www.scanlab.com, Dynapharm,
www.dynagroup.com.my , Hi-City, www.hicity.com,
Malaysian Pharmaceutical Industries,
Antah Pharma, www.antah.com.my, Royce Pharma,
www.roycepharma.com,YSP, www.yspsah.com,
Idaman, Pharmaniaga, www.pharmaniaga.com ,
Emerging Pharma, www.emergingp.com , Hovid,
www.hovid.com.
Singapore: ICM, www.icmpharma.com.sg
Philippines: Sydenham Laboratories,
www.sydenhamlab.com, Philippine International
Trade Corporation, www.pitc.gov.ph, Elin
Pharmaceuticals, www.elinpharma.com, Hizon
Laboratories, Lloyd Laboratories,
www.lloydlab.com,YSS Laboratories,
www.ysslab.com , Unilab, www.unilab.com.ph ,
Pascual Laboratories, www.pascuallab.com ,
Danlex.
Thailand: GPO www.gpo.or.th, Biolab
www.biothailand.com,TO Chemicals
www.togroupthailand.com, Greater Pharma
www.greaterpharma.com, A.N.B. Laboratories
www.anlab.com, PMS www.pms-group.net, NR
Industries Group www.nr-group.com, Silom
Medical, Zuellig Pharma www.zuelligpharma.co.th,
Mega Lifesciences www.megawecare.com, Siam
Pharmaceuticals www.siam-pharm.com.
ONE STEP FURTHER
For further information on the above companies,
please contact us: info@ecreviews.com,
www.ecreviews.com
Pharmaceutical Technology SEPTEMBER 2006 89