The Past Speaks

I have blogged earlier about the ongoing negotiations for a Canada-EU trade deal. One issue that could derail the deal is the whole question of patent life for prescription drugs– the EU would like Canada to extend the period of intellectual property protection for new drugs, an idea opposed by Canada’s generic drug makers and by the provincial ministries of health, which pay for most of the drugs consumed in Canada. According to one estimate, this aspect of the deal could cost Canada $2.8 billion per year.