A closely watched debate will get under way in Canada today over a bill, called C-393, which was designed to allow generic versions of patented AIDS meds to be sent to developing countries. The bill was conceived to amend a 2004 law called Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime, which proved ineffective. Since its passage six years ago, only one license was ever issued and this involved exporting just one order of an AIDS med to Rwanda.

Two months ago, however, a Canadian House of Commons committee eliminated a key reform, notably the one-license solution. This would provide a generic drugmaker with a single compulsory license to export lower-cost meds to developing countries covered by the law, rather than requiring a separate negotiation and licensing process for every single order from each country, which is how the law currently works. The idea is to speed the process while lowering the transaction costs.

Over the past several weeks, an array of patient groups have lobbied the House of Commons to restore the important provisions, although the process is not that simple. A new sponsor is required, because the legislator who originally introduced the bill is no longer in the House, and unanimous support is required for approval of what amounts to an ordinary procedural change. And so far, the Conservative Party has not indicated a willingness to come aboard, even though activists say most Canadians support the fix. Even grandmothers held vigils across Canada (read here).

“By streamlining CAMR, Bill C-393 makes the entire system more user-friendly and allows Canada to follow through on Parliament’s promise to help developing countries gain access affordable medicines for AIDS and other urgent public health needs,” writes Richard Elliott, executive director of the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. “Fixing CAMR in this way would help supply access to affordable life-saving medicines to people in the developing world.”