Montreal, Oct 18: Canada has sought to be an example to other industrialised nations by altering its legislation to allow for generic aids drugs to be exported to developing nations. Over the past few days, industry minister Allan Rock and international trade minister Pierre Pettigrew stressed that Canada has worked tirelessly to amend its patent laws.
Canada hopes to become the first country in the group of seven to make major laboratories operating within its borders -- both Canadian companies and multinational firms -- share their formulas with the manufacturers of generic aids drugs for export to developing countries, hardest hit by the pandemic.

These countries, primarily in Africa, quite often have no means for producing the drugs and are at the mercy of developed countries to obtain them.

Ottawa wants to be the first industrialised country to make good on an agreement, reached by the 146 World Trade Organisation (WTO) member nations in late august in Geneva, to furnish low-priced medications to developing nations.

For now, the details of a bill are still being hammered out, but supporters hope to see a measure passed by parliament within as little as one week. Bureau Report