[Ip-health] News release: Rwanda first to try buying affordable AIDS drug from Canada using Access to Medicines Regime

[Richard Elliott]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--
--
[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]





News Release

Communiqu=E9





For immediate release



RWANDA FIRST TO TRY BUYING AFFORDABLE AIDS DRUG FROM CANADA USING ACCESS TO
MEDICINES REGIME



Legal Network welcomes news, but warns flaws in law still need to be fixed



TORONTO, July 20, 2007 =97 The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network was cautious=
ly
optimistic today in welcoming news that Rwanda will be the first developing
country to attempt using Canada=92s Access to Medicines Regime to purchase =
an
affordable AIDS drug from Canada.



Yesterday, Rwanda notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its
intention to import 260 000 packs of Apo-Triavir from Canada over the next
two years. Apo-Triavir is a generic drug manufactured by Ontario-based
Apotex Inc. It combines three patented brand-name drugs: zidovudine,
lamivudine and nevirapine. The notification by Rwanda is the first step for
Apotex to get a licence that will allow it to produce and export this
medicine.



=93This is the closest we=92ve come so far to seeing the Regime achieve wha=
t
it=92s meant to do,=94 said Richard Elliott, Deputy Director of the Legal
Network. =93But even if Rwanda and Apotex are successful in getting this or=
der
through, Parliament still needs to streamline the Regime to ensure that thi=
s
isn=92t the only time we=92ll see the Regime used.=94



Originally passed in May 2004 as the Jean Chr=E9tien Pledge to Africa, the
Regime was intended to allow generic drug companies in Canada to produce an=
d
export much-needed lower-cost versions of brand-name drugs to developing
countries. To date, however, not a single pill has left Canada.



Since then, in numerous letters and briefs, the Legal Network has repeatedl=
y
urged Cabinet ministers and members of Parliament to deal quickly and
effectively with this problem, and outlined specific steps to help solve it=
.



The most recent brief, submitted in April 2007 to the House of Commons
Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, included 13
recommendations, the cornerstone of which is a proposal to authorize any
pharmaceutical firm to produce generic versions of any drug patented in
Canada for export to any eligible developing country listed in the law.



=93Parliament created the Regime over three years ago. It=92s taken all tha=
t
time just to get this point, not because the drugs aren=92t needed or don=
=92t
exist, but in large part because the Regime is too complicated to work as
well as it could,=94 said Elliott. =93This single application is just a dro=
p in
the bucket to meeting the desperate need for affordable medicines.
Parliament needs to fix the law to benefit more than just one country.=94



About the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network

The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network (www.aidslaw.ca <http://www.aidslaw.ca/=
>
) promotes the human rights of people living with and vulnerable to
HIV/AIDS, in Canada and internationally, through research, legal and policy
analysis, education, and community mobilization. The Legal Network is
Canada=92s leading advocacy organization working on the legal and human rig=
hts
issues raised by HIV/AIDS.



=96 30 =96




For more information, please contact:





Leon Mar

Director of Communications

Mobile: +1 416 278-3750

Telephone: +1 416 595-1666 ext. 228

E-mail: lmar@aidslaw.ca

Website: www.aidslaw.ca <http://www.aidslaw.ca/>





_________________________________

Richard Elliott

Deputy Director

Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network

+1 (416) 595-1666 ext. 229



Directeur adjoint

R=E9seau juridique canadien VIH/sida

+1 (416) 595-1666 poste 229



--
[ image001.jpg of type image/jpeg deleted ]
--