The Thai Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) has developed the antiretroviral drug Efavirenz. Efavirenz is a drug that is first prescribed to HIV-infected people. The GPO spent 16 years developing it. 

The World Health Organization WHO has certified Efavirenz. The GPO will now try to sell the drug abroad. Efavirenz is the first drug developed in Thailand to be approved in Asean under the WHO Prequalification Programme. The drug can now be added to the WHO's list of approved HIV drugs. International organizations such as the Global Fund and Unicef ​​can order it for use in developing countries.

It is considerably cheaper than an equivalent drug that previously had to be imported (30 pills cost 1.000 baht). In contrast, 30 tablets of Efavirenz cost only 180 baht. This year, the GPO will produce 42 million pills.

Source: Bangkok Post

3 Responses to “Thailand has developed a cheap drug against HIV”

  1. Martin Vasbinder says up

    Efavirenz has been on the market in the US since 1998 and was developed by Du Pont.
    In Europe it is sold since 1999 and Thailand 2006.

    GPO has been making and selling it since 2006. Before that they had permission from Du Pont, with an obligation to keep it on the market for at least 5 years. That because of the low price that Thailand was allowed to use. There is no question of development by GPO. Of copying.
    Now that the patent has expired, they can also start exporting it.

    • In Thailand they sometimes polish up their own input, as it turns out.

  2. Alex says up

    Great news! Worthy of congratulations@
    The pharmaceutical industry in Europe and the USA will not be happy about that, they are only after gross profits!


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