The goal, of course, is to review Bangkok’s policy of issuing compulsory licenses on patented meds and, consequently, what to do about Thailand’s trade status, The Nation reports. Today’s session comes just one month before the US Trade Rep completes its annual review of trade relations with other countries and, as you may recall, pharma has been lobbying Washington to drop Thailand to the lowest possible designation.

Depending on whether or not Thailand is downgraded from Priority Watch List to Priority Foreign Country, Washington will decide whether to extend or cut tariff privileges on Thai goods, the paper notes. Last year, the US Trade Rep downgraded Thailand from Watch List to Priority Watch List, because Bangkok’s new military government hadn’t taken strong measures to protest intellectual property. The US is Thailand’s largest trading partner, The Nation notes.

Thailand is at risk of being downgraded after a decision last week by a newly elected government to continue compulsory licensing for three cancer meds. The previous government had already issued licenses for two AIDS drugs and a heart med, causing an international controversy over compulsory licensing and affordable access to medicines in many countries.

Meanwhile, Sanofi-Aventis is threatening to take legal action against an Indian generic maker, Cadila Healthcare, if it ships generic Plavix to Thailand, while talks are under way with Bangkok, LiveMint reports. Jean-Marc Podvin, told LiveMint last week that the drugmaker “believes that the compulsory licence for Plavix is still not in effect in Thailand and we remain optimistic that it will not, as we are negotiating with the Thai government.”

Cadila had secured an export order from the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation of Thailand for at least two million Plavix tablets. The order was granted after the previous Thai government issued a compulsory license to import generic Plavix to cut the cost of the medicine. Plavix is currently priced at $247 to $370 per tablet in Thailand, LiveMint reports.

When asked whether Sanofi will be forced to reduce prices after the negotiation with the government, Podvin would only say: “I cannot comment at this point in time as the talks are in progress. The company is optimistic that its intellectual property right will be protected.”