Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsab said on Tuesday he has removed the official charged with negotiating with major international drug firms on compulsory licensing.
Siriwat Thiptharadon, head of the Food and Drug Administration and an architect of the military government's compulsory licence (CL) policy, was moved to an inactive post.
"It's not about the CL issue, it's about appropriateness," said Mr Chaiya after the weekly cabinet meeting. He refused to elaborate.
Chatree Banchuen, a senior Health Ministry official, was appointed head of the FDA and lead negotiator on drug prices.
Mr Chaiya has openly questioned the legality of the moves to override international patents on cancer drugs and said the government could afford their $24-$27 million annual cost.
Drug firms and their allies have strongly criticised Thailand over the CL issue, accusing the country of stealing intellectual property. The United States cited the drug patents in putting Thailand on its "priority watch list" last year.
Late last year, former health minister Mongkol na Songkhla overrode patents on two HIV-Aids drugs, a heart medicine and four cancer drugs, arguing that they were too expensive for a national health plan covering about 80 per cent of Thailand's 63 million people. Mr Chaiya has questioned only the cancer-drug CL process.
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Siriwat Thiptharadon, head of the Food and Drug Administration and an architect of the military government's compulsory licence (CL) policy, was moved to an inactive post.
"It's not about the CL issue, it's about appropriateness," said Mr Chaiya after the weekly cabinet meeting. He refused to elaborate.
Chatree Banchuen, a senior Health Ministry official, was appointed head of the FDA and lead negotiator on drug prices.
Mr Chaiya has openly questioned the legality of the moves to override international patents on cancer drugs and said the government could afford their $24-$27 million annual cost.
Drug firms and their allies have strongly criticised Thailand over the CL issue, accusing the country of stealing intellectual property. The United States cited the drug patents in putting Thailand on its "priority watch list" last year.
Late last year, former health minister Mongkol na Songkhla overrode patents on two HIV-Aids drugs, a heart medicine and four cancer drugs, arguing that they were too expensive for a national health plan covering about 80 per cent of Thailand's 63 million people. Mr Chaiya has questioned only the cancer-drug CL process.
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