PTT joins GPO in cancer drug plant project

BANGKOK, Jan 24 (TNA) -- Government Pharmaceutical Organizaiton (GPO) and PTT Plc plan to build a plant in Rayong province to produce cancer medicine to provide Thai people with much cheaper drugs to treat cancer. Both organisations signed an agreement to conduct a feasibility study on the project. GPO managing director Nopporn Cheanklin said cancer was the most common cause of death among Thai people, claiming about 60,000 lives a year in Thailand and 8 million people annually worldwide. In 30 years cancer drugs would form a half of global medicines. PTT’s expertise on factories and petrochemical production would help accelerate the construction of the new plant worth at least 1 billion baht, Dr Nopporn said. The plant would be set up in the WEcoZI industrial estate of PTT in Rayong province. The feasibility study would be completed in six months and the production could begin in 2025. Dr Nopporn expected drugs from the new plant would be more than 50 per cent cheaper than presently available cancer medicines. Auttapol Rerkpiboon, PTT’s chief operating officer for downstream petroleum business, said the project served PTT’s mission for social security and better life of people. PTT designated 500 rai in the 1,500-rai WEcoZI compound for new S-curve industrial projects that included the cancer drug plant, he said. (TNA)