Canada OKs Generic AIDS Drug For Export

Posted: August 8, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET 

(Toronto, Ontario) A generic pharmaceutical company has permission to produce the first HIV-AIDS drugs under Canada's three-year-old Access to Medicines Regime.

GlaxoSmithKline has given consent for Apotex to make an antiretroviral medication for the treatment of HIV-AIDS patients in Rwanda.

Consent was needed because GSK has patent rights for two molecules contained in the medication.

The 2004 Access to Medicines program enables the federal government to authorize production of certain patented medicines for export to countries desperate for drugs to help control the pandemic.

But the program has been criticized by AIDS activists because not one pill has been exported since its inception.

GSK has agreed to waive royalties because Apotex will supply its generic antiretroviral drug to Rwanda on a no-profit basis.

GSK Canada CEO Paul Lucas says the company's decision to allow Apotex to manufacture the drug is part of a broad commitment to tackle the worldwide AIDS crisis.

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