federal
Bill to ease sale of HIV drugs passes vote
CBC News
A bill that would make it easier to sell cheap HIV drugs to developing countries has passed second reading in the House of Commons.
Members of Parliament voted 143-127 on Wednesday in favour of sending Bill C-393 to committee.
New Democrat MP Judy Wasylycia-Leis sponsored the bill, which is designed to reform Canada's five-year-old access-to-medicines law.
Under Bill C-9, passed in May 2004, generic drug makers in Canada must obtain a special licence each time they want to sell a cheaper, generic version of a patented medicine to a developing country. They also have to pay royalties on any such sales to the patent-holding drugmakers, and the licence is good for only two years.
Read more »