Thailand Can Produce Favipiravir for COVID Patients

[webfact]

 

BANGKOK, May 7 (TNA) - Thailand now has the right to produce antiviral drug favipiravir to treat COVID-19 patients and the Government Pharmaceutical Organization is ordering ingredients for the production.

 

Government House wrote on its Facebook page that Thailand could start the production because the Department of Intellectual Property rejected a patent application for the drug after finding out that the company that developed it did not present any further innovation of the drug. As a result, no one had a patent on it.

 

Government House wrote that Thailand had enough technology and capacity to produce favipiravir to treat its COVID-19 patients but had to import the drug because of the past issue of the production right.

 

Full story: https://tna.mcot.net/english-news-691843

 

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[ukrules]

This will come back to haunt them in the future, it's an almost completely useless drug which is about as effective as a placebo based on things I've read.

 

Regardless of how useless it is I suspect the Japanese won't like this move and there will be serious legal issues in the future.

 

[ThailandRyan]

Stealing a medication that is patented elsewhere is a crime, but then I am sure Thailand could care less. Wonder when Japan's lawsuit will start.  Oh right it wasn't patented in Thailand so it is still OK.  Just like the convicted drug dealer minister. 

[sungod]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

This will come back to haunt them in the future, it's an almost completely useless drug which is about as effective as a placebo based on things I've read.

 

Regardless of how useless it is I suspect the Japanese won't like this move and there will be serious legal issues in the future.

 

Verdict is still out

 

https://www.nihr.ac.uk/news/favipiravir-to-be-investigated-as-a-possible-covid-19-treatment-for-at-home-recovery-in-the-principle-trial/27426

[jollyhangmon]

 

> Thailand now has the right to produce antiviral drug favipiravir to treat COVID-19 patients ...

... As a result, no one had a patent on it ...

... but had to import the drug because of the past issue of the production right. <

 

 ...  ... ... or in other words we just copy the sh...tuff, like we did in the good ole days, 55555 ... 

 

Edited May 8, 2021 by jollyhangmon

[ThailandRyan]

https://adisinsight.springer.com/drugs/800014667

 

So it appears that Thailand opposed the patent so it could make its own.  Amazing Thailand 

 

https://www.patentoppositions.org/en/drugs/favipiravir

[worgeordie]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

finding out that the company that developed it did not present any further innovation of the drug. As a result, no one had a patent on it.

 

As Tommy Cooper used to say "Just like that"........If the company perfected the drug

what further development was it expected to do, I think Thailand will be looking at

a lawsuit over this,  that must be why car ,phone companies are always developing

their products, there afraid ,Thailand will take them over and make them here ????

 

regards Worgeordie

 

[hotchilli]

59 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

https://adisinsight.springer.com/drugs/800014667

 

So it appears that Thailand opposed the patent so it could make its own.  Amazing Thailand 

 

https://www.patentoppositions.org/en/drugs/favipiravir

Which is why it's still on the USA watch list.

[ThailandRyan]

26 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Which is why it's still on the USA watch list.

exactly, intellectual property includes pharmaceuticals.  Once a patent times out for medicines developed, so that a maker can recoup what it paid out in production costs plus a few more profits, then generics can be made by whomever wants to, but it will not be called the name of the original medication.  Thailand has a way of doing things that just amazes me as they will be taking the companies information and creating the same product under the GPO label, and not a generic.....

[petermik]

If we cannot make it we`ll copy it TIT.

[DLock]

I can't find any information that suggests Favipiravir is patented by Fujifilm Toyama - they words developed and manufactured are used instead.

 

So, was the recent Patent application in Thailand an attempt to appropriate the worldwide patent from under Japan? I am confused on that one.

 

Regardless, if it not patented, then I don't see the issue with Thailand (or anyone else) approving it for use in Thailand and manufacturing it domestically.

 

Incidentally, it was developed by the US Dept of Defense, and is currently not approved in UK and USA (according to Wiki).

 

If anyone finds any further data, please post. This is interesting.

[internationalism]

great news, but might take some 3 months before it would be available. For that long thailand has already importing ready pills.

It's antiviral medicine, approved for covid in some few countries, including thailand. 

It has less side effects than tamiflu, another antiviral used also in thailand for covid (that one one is made by the GPO for many years as generic, but not cheap and not available at pharmacies).

In face of pandemic, and potential of thousand times more deadly (look at indian mutation and India), that what thailand has experienced so far, I would not worry about lawsuits, diplomatic back clash. It's a fight for survival.

Even if a placebo for covid, it treats flu, and possible the other viruses, which is not deadly, but widespread and in case of co-infection will save lives.

 

India has just started to make this medicine in 4x of the original potency 200mg. Daily recommendation for covid is 2g.

 

[mtls2005]

Might as well use snake oil...

 

 

But there are effectively no treatments here so if this makes the regime and the BMA governor feel better, go for it.

 

 

[DefaultName]

I have no knowledge of the drug industry. 

Perhaps someone who does could enlighten me; is this like a vaccine that takes months to make even if you know exactly how (like AstraZeneca in Thailand) or, can they just mix a few pre-existing chemicals in a vat and bottle it?

[internationalism]

the GPO is importing API, active ingredients, matter of mixing them with fillers, than running multiple complicated chemical processes.

Still they need medicine registration number and later licence number.

Also to get into mass production and economy of scale, they need to get large stock of API. So later they can compete with the other countries for the world market

Edited May 8, 2021 by internationalism

[metisdead]

Some posts trolling about Trump have been removed. 

[Dogmatix]

There is no evidence that Favipiravir works against COVID.

[John Drake]

4 hours ago, DLock said:

Incidentally, it was developed by the US Dept of Defense, and is currently not approved in UK and USA (according to Wiki).

 

So it appears then that the Japanese stole it first.

[DLock]

20 minutes ago, John Drake said:

 

So it appears then that the Japanese stole it first.

 

A lot of details are lacking JD, so it's hard to understand the situation and legal implications.

[natway09]

Come on guys, this is an emergency & generics are used all over the world.

I take 2 every day, 1 from Thailand, 1 from Canada.

India is a huge producer of them 

How many different types of "Viagra " on the shelf, some legally sold at your local pharmacy

[metisdead]

A post with an ethnic slur comment toward the Japanese people has been removed as well as a reply. 

[ThailandRyan]

13 hours ago, natway09 said:

Come on guys, this is an emergency & generics are used all over the world.

I take 2 every day, 1 from Thailand, 1 from Canada.

India is a huge producer of them 

How many different types of "Viagra " on the shelf, some legally sold at your local pharmacy

will it be produced as a generic? or will it be produced under it's true name as an original medication? if they opposed the patent then in effect they are stealing the patented medication and making it under the GPO label without changing the name to indicate it is a generic.  Generics are great, they cost less to make and sell because the patent coverages do not keep them from kicking back any monetary compensation to the company that developed them.