Holding Health Hostage

Thailand revokes patents on AIDS drugs and threatens to hold Westerners hostage if there is a flu outbreak, until they receive flu vaccine. WSJ:

If you care about property rights -- or access to new medicine for the world's poor -- keep your eye on the current fight over Thailand's attempt to confiscate drug patents. The brawl is getting messier by the day.

In the latest news, the Journal reports that Abbott Laboratories has decided not to market any new medicines in Thailand. Abbott will continue to sell drugs currently on sale in the country, but it has withdrawn its applications for other drugs under government review.

Abbott is based in the Chicago suburbs, and this kind of government intervention costs jobs and restricts medical advances. As the Journal points out, (pay attention Democrats):

Drug patents are a globally recognized way to guarantee a return on investment in producing new therapies, and there will be no incentive to innovate if governments can revoke patents with impunity.

Of course, the relevant UN authority has caved on this and even the WHO is wobbling. US HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has cautioned Thailand on its other innovation:

In a March 7 letter, Mr. Leavitt said Dr. Suwit's comments "appear to contravene the spirit and provisions of the revised International Health Regulations" for how countries cooperate to curb the global spread of disease. Hostage-taking is not among the preferred medical treatments for the flu. Would-be kidnapper Dr. Suwit was also an important voice advocating seizure of the drug patents.

For now, I suggest avoiding Thailand, where holding health hostage is the new normal.

Relate posts: The Millionaire Next Door, Dark Age Democrats II