Thailand eases "abused" generic regs

Thailand's National Drug Committee has changed its regulations to allowgeneric drugs to be distributed at the same time as their higher-priced imported equivalents, rather than after a two-year period of testing, says a statement from the Health Ministry's Food and Drug Administration, carried by the Associated Press.

The ruling to deregulate the drug registration process would reduce monopoly, create fair competition in the market and decrease drug prices, said FDA Secretary General Vichai Chokewiwat.

The regulations had allowed generic drugmakers to register their products only after the brand-name drugs had been registered and undergone a safety monitoring program which was to last two years.