January 29, 2007

Thailand Smacks Down Another Drug Patent

The Thai government agreed today to license generic versions of HIV med Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir), prompting a protest from patent-holder Abbott Laboratories. A World Trade Organization pact allows governments to take such steps in the case of national health emergencies, which the government declared in December when it issued a similar license to produce generic Sustiva (efavirenz).