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'Drugs for Africa' bill amended
Ottawa removes advantage for brand-name firms
Rock star Bono pleased with move, sources say
SUSAN DELACOURT
OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF
OTTAWA?The Liberal government is removing a much-criticized advantage for the big, brand-name drug firms in a major change to a bill to get HIV/AIDS drugs to poor nations.
Irish rock star Bono, who vowed to be an international thorn in the government's side in the campaign to supply drugs to impoverished AIDS sufferers, spoke to Prime Minister Paul Martin yesterday to convey his approval for the turnaround, sources said.
In the amendments to be formally put before Parliament today, the government has backed away from a provision that would basically have given the more expensive, patent-drug manufacturers the first right to supply AIDS drugs to developing countries.
This so-called "right of refusal" clause meant that it would have been difficult for the manufacturers of less expensive, generic drugs to be the suppliers of much-needed AIDS drugs to nations that cannot afford them.
Patent holders would have been allowed 30 days to match and seize any drug-supply contracts set up between generic firms and poor countries looking to obtain HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals.
The generic companies say the existing provision removes the incentives for them to negotiate contracts.
It's estimated that 30 million of the world's 45 million AIDS sufferers live in Africa. Many are dying because they do not have access to the drugs developed to help stem the epidemic.
Martin had once described this legislation as one of the top priorities of his new government, even naming it after his predecessor Jean Chr?tien, in recognition of all of his interest in helping Africa. That was before the sponsorship scandal reawakened the rivalry between them and appeared to overwhelm even the smallest of initiatives in Martin's new government.
The bill, known also as C-9, has appeared to be mired in procedural limbo in the Commons since it was introduced with much fanfare in happier times for Martin's government.
Stephen Lewis, the United Nations envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, has been speaking out strongly against the right-of-refusal provision, arguing that Canada ? as the first country to bring in this kind of legislation ? has a global responsibility to set a strong example for others that may soon follow suit. Norway, for instance, is working on a similar law, and several European nations are said to be watching Canada closely to see how this effort could work.
Canadian advocates of the "Drugs for Africa" plan had also been sounding alarms about the right-of-refusal provision, but today, they will be holding a press conference in Ottawa to give measured praise for the Martin government's fundamental rethinking of the bill.
"Governments have been known to do the right thing from time to time and this is one of those times, I guess," said Richard Elliott of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, who worked closely with the government to win the changes. But Elliott says the new version of the bill hasn't entirely levelled the field between patent and generic drug firms.
In an apparent exchange for removing the right-of-refusal provision, the government is setting strict limits over the price and profit in any generic-drug contracts.
"We'd like to see that gone, too, before this bill is passed," Elliott
says.
The legislationnow goes to a Commons committee, where it will be studied, and where further amendments could be put forward by the opposition.
Last month, the DATA (Debts, AIDS, Trade, Africa) relief group founded by Bono wrote personally to Martin to protest the way his government had drafted the bill.
"Giving patent holders a `right of first refusal' or `equal opportunity' and restricting what products are eligible sets a poor precedent for the world after so much promise from Canada," the letter said. It warned it "would undermine the very purpose of the law, which is to get affordable medicines to the 14 million people who die every day from treatable diseases."
Although some contracts may be at low prices, the access to a growing market could be attractive for brand-name firms. After exchanging messages for a few days, government sources said Bono spoke to Martin yesterdayto register his pleasure over the development
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...810&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
Many thanks to Kate and Devlin!
Ottawa removes advantage for brand-name firms
Rock star Bono pleased with move, sources say
SUSAN DELACOURT
OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF
OTTAWA?The Liberal government is removing a much-criticized advantage for the big, brand-name drug firms in a major change to a bill to get HIV/AIDS drugs to poor nations.
Irish rock star Bono, who vowed to be an international thorn in the government's side in the campaign to supply drugs to impoverished AIDS sufferers, spoke to Prime Minister Paul Martin yesterday to convey his approval for the turnaround, sources said.
In the amendments to be formally put before Parliament today, the government has backed away from a provision that would basically have given the more expensive, patent-drug manufacturers the first right to supply AIDS drugs to developing countries.
This so-called "right of refusal" clause meant that it would have been difficult for the manufacturers of less expensive, generic drugs to be the suppliers of much-needed AIDS drugs to nations that cannot afford them.
Patent holders would have been allowed 30 days to match and seize any drug-supply contracts set up between generic firms and poor countries looking to obtain HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals.
The generic companies say the existing provision removes the incentives for them to negotiate contracts.
It's estimated that 30 million of the world's 45 million AIDS sufferers live in Africa. Many are dying because they do not have access to the drugs developed to help stem the epidemic.
Martin had once described this legislation as one of the top priorities of his new government, even naming it after his predecessor Jean Chr?tien, in recognition of all of his interest in helping Africa. That was before the sponsorship scandal reawakened the rivalry between them and appeared to overwhelm even the smallest of initiatives in Martin's new government.
The bill, known also as C-9, has appeared to be mired in procedural limbo in the Commons since it was introduced with much fanfare in happier times for Martin's government.
Stephen Lewis, the United Nations envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, has been speaking out strongly against the right-of-refusal provision, arguing that Canada ? as the first country to bring in this kind of legislation ? has a global responsibility to set a strong example for others that may soon follow suit. Norway, for instance, is working on a similar law, and several European nations are said to be watching Canada closely to see how this effort could work.
Canadian advocates of the "Drugs for Africa" plan had also been sounding alarms about the right-of-refusal provision, but today, they will be holding a press conference in Ottawa to give measured praise for the Martin government's fundamental rethinking of the bill.
"Governments have been known to do the right thing from time to time and this is one of those times, I guess," said Richard Elliott of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, who worked closely with the government to win the changes. But Elliott says the new version of the bill hasn't entirely levelled the field between patent and generic drug firms.
In an apparent exchange for removing the right-of-refusal provision, the government is setting strict limits over the price and profit in any generic-drug contracts.
"We'd like to see that gone, too, before this bill is passed," Elliott
says.
The legislationnow goes to a Commons committee, where it will be studied, and where further amendments could be put forward by the opposition.
Last month, the DATA (Debts, AIDS, Trade, Africa) relief group founded by Bono wrote personally to Martin to protest the way his government had drafted the bill.
"Giving patent holders a `right of first refusal' or `equal opportunity' and restricting what products are eligible sets a poor precedent for the world after so much promise from Canada," the letter said. It warned it "would undermine the very purpose of the law, which is to get affordable medicines to the 14 million people who die every day from treatable diseases."
Although some contracts may be at low prices, the access to a growing market could be attractive for brand-name firms. After exchanging messages for a few days, government sources said Bono spoke to Martin yesterdayto register his pleasure over the development
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...810&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467
Many thanks to Kate and Devlin!
