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A bill to get low-cost anti-AIDS drugs to countries that could otherwise not afford them has unanimously been approved by Canada's House of Commons, Agence France-Presse reported.
The new law amends the country's existing patent legislation and gives the government the authority to override patents, making it possible for certain drug manufacturers to produce and export generic medicines - including antiretroviral drugs - for use in developing countries.
Under the amended legislation, which was originally presented to the House of Commons in November 2003, about 50 countries would be eligible to receive generic drugs at a fraction of what they cost in Canada.
A provision for special markings on the packaging to prevent the drugs from being sold on the alternative market or reimported to Canada was also included.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
