WASHINGTON--21 May--PRNewswire-AsiaNet/InfoQuest ThaiMyths.com ( http://www.thaimyths.com ), a project of USA for Innovation, unveiled Myth #9 today to draw attention to the deceit in Thailand's decision to steal American and European innovation. Each business day for two weeks from May 7 - May 18, ThaiMyths.com will release additional information regarding one of the ten recent myths by the Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla. Today's Myth: #9 of 10 Myth: U.S. Companies That Leave Thailand Are Immoral The Facts: Foreign investors, including American and European research and development-based biopharmaceutical companies, have the right to leave the country if they view it as a place hostile for business. Thailand's refusal to pay for medical technology to fund new militarization goals is the real immorality. FACT: Thailand has not ever invented medicine. -- Thailand's Government Pharmaceutical Organization has never had a drug approved by the World Health Organization "GPO facilities for manufacturing HIV treatments have not passed WHO's relatively weak manufacturing standards. WHO approves manufacturing facilities after an inspection of a single product -- often an antibiotic or aspirin, which are simple to produce. This approval does not certify that the facility is capable of producing all drugs, especially the most complex types such as HIV drugs. Nevertheless, the GPO failed to meet even WHO's minimal standards in every category attempted. (Roger Bate, "Thailand and the drug Patent Wars", AEI Health Outlook, 4/3/07) FACT: Unlike military juntas and activist NGOs (including this one), public companies that do invent medicine have duties beyond themselves. -- The leading investment newspaper in the U.S., "The Wall Street Journal," blasted Abbott Laboratories in an April 20, 2007 editorial for not withdrawing from Thailand. "As for Abbott, we recognize their business and PR dilemmas. But the only real weapon any drug company has in these patent battles is to withdraw from an offending country's market. By threatening withdrawal and then reversing itself under pressure, Abbott has undermined its own credibility and made it harder for other companies to take a stronger stand." ("Abbott's Bad Precedent," Wall Street Journal, 4/30/07) -- Inventing safe and effective new medicine takes time and money. "Only one of every 10,000 potential medicines investigated by America's research-based pharmaceutical companies makes it through the research and development pipeline and is approved for patient use by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Winning approval, on average, takes 15 years of research and development and costs over $800 million dollars." (The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), http://www.phrma.org/innovation , Accessed 5/18/07) Thailand Is Placing A Greater Importance On Rewarding The New Military-Installed Government Than Funding Healthcare. Consider ... FACT: Thailand Is Fattening Their Military Budget And Rewarding Their Generals. -- Thai Officials Showered Their Military Leaders With Pay Raises -- Totaling Over $9 Million Per Year. "Shortly after Thailand's new government seized power in the fall of 2006, the country's military leaders awarded themselves pay increases of over $9 million per year." (Michael A. Tew and Alexandra V. Preate, "Who Needs Foreign Investment?" The American Spectator, 3/23/07) -- The Defense Ministry Asked For And Received A 50 Percent Budget Increase Over 2006. "In January, the Defence Ministry asked for and received a budget of Bt115 billion for this year - an almost 50-per- cent increase over fiscal 2006." ("Army Must Live Up To Its Duty," The [Thailand] Nation, 2/9/07) FACT: Thailand is cutting their health budget. -- While the military budget grew,the health budget was cut $12 Million. "[T]he government increased its military budget by more than one third, or $1.1 billion, while cutting its public health budget by $12 million. (Michael A. Tew and Alexandra V. Preate, "Who Needs Foreign Investment?" The American Spectator, 3/23/07) -- "Translation: More money for the military government, less money to be spent on the health of its citizens." (Michael A. Tew and Alexandra V. Preate, "Who Needs Foreign Investment?" The American Spectator, 3/23/07) -- Thailand spends less on health care as a percentage of GDP than most other countries. Thailand spends less (3.3% of GDP) than its peers such as Chile (6.1%) or Argentina (8.9%). (World Health Report 2006, "Working Together for health," World Health Organization, 2006) SOURCE USA For Innovation CONTACT: USA For Innovation, +1-866-646-8668, [email protected]/ Web site: http://www.thaimyths.com --Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--