The drugmaker has apparently backed away from a confrontation with the Thai government over patent protection for its Kaletra AIDS med. And it’s possible that the concession could embolden other developing countries to push big pharma to lower prices.

The latest version of its AIDS drug Kaletra will be sold in Thailand at a discounted rate, Abbott ceo Miles White tells The Wall Street Journal. The move reverses a decision in February to withhold the new form of Kaletra after the Thai government announced plans to allow sales of generic versions of Kaletra and other drugs.

“In this particular case, in the name of access for patients, we offered to resubmit (the new version of Kaletra) at our new price, which is lower than any generic, provided they wouldn’t issue a compulsory license,” says White, adding that the initial decision was driven by “concern that compulsory licensing would be abused ever-more widely, using HIV as an excuse.”

Jennifer Smoter, a spokeswoman for Abbott, says Thailand’s health ministry has expressed interest in the offer, but a resolution hasn’t been reached. Abbott’s move doesn’t affect its decision to withhold six other drugs from Thailand.

You can read the rest of the dispatch here.[tags]Abbott Laboratories, Compulsory Licensing, Generics, Kaletra, Thailand[/tags]