Govt negotiating for patent to manufacture Favipiravir locally
The government is negotiating with foreign firms to get a patent to produce Favipiravir tablets locally, deputy government spokesperson Traisulee Traisoranakul said on Wednesday.
“During a Cabinet meeting this week, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul informed the Cabinet that the ministry had ordered enough Favipiravir tablets from Japan to meet current demand in treating Covid-19 patients,” she said.
“Furthermore, the Government Pharmaceutical Orgnisation (GPO) is negotiating with foreign partners to obtain a patent to produce the medicine domestically,” Traisulee said.
She said there would be no monopoly on Favipiravir even after the government obtains the patent.
“Private hospitals will still be able to import the medicine for their own use,” she added.
GPO deputy managing director Sirikul Matevelungsun said earlier this month that Thailand had more than 400,000 Favipiravir tablets in stock and that the GPO had already placed an order for an additional 500,000 tablets to cope with the rising infections.
Up to 70 Favipiravir tablets are needed to treat each Covid-19 patient.