Drug patent laws could cost Canadian industry $ 50 million.
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The recent changes in the Canadian patent law , enforced as per TRIPS requirement vide the September 2000 WTO ruling, could cost the Canadian drug industry as much as $50 million.The changes extends the length of 45,000 patents to conform with the WTO, out of which around 25 are of commercial significance. It is only when the term ends that generic makers can enter the market. Generic ones are estimated to be on average 30% cheaper than the brand name equivalents.
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