Ottawa - The Canadian government introduced legislative amendments on Tuesday to make it easier for makers of generic drugs to sell low-cost Aids drugs and other medicines to poor countries.
The changes would be made to pioneering legislation, not yet passed, which is designed to get drugs to people in the least-developed countries, while not undercutting the market for those medicines in richer countries.
"To be of real help to the millions of people suffering in developing countries, changes were needed," Prime Minister Paul Martin said in a statement.
Under the amendments, brand-name pharmaceutical companies - the ones holding the drug patents - will no longer be able to step in to take over contracts generic companies sign with poor countries for lower-cost versions of those drugs.
The amendments would also lower the royalties that would have to be paid.
The Liberal government of Martin's predecessor, Jean Chretien, had introduced the original legislation in November but it died when Chretien ended the parliamentary session.
Martin reintroduced the bill after he took power in December. He would like to hold an election this spring if his Liberals recover lost ground in the polls, but the Aids drug legislation would again die if it has not been passed by then.