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MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
 
Meeting No. 10
 
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
 

The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology met at 11:09 a.m. this day, in Room 308 West Block, the Chair, Brent St. Denis, presiding.

 

Members of the Committee present: Gérard Binet, Hon. David Collenette, Paul Crête, Hon. Joe Fontana, Cheryl Gallant, Marlene Jennings, Hon. Gurbax Malhi, Brian Masse, Grant McNally, James Rajotte, Andy Savoy, Carol Skelton, Brent St. Denis and Hon. Lyle Vanclief.

 

Acting Members present: Roy Cullen for Hon. Gurbax Malhi, Sébastien Gagnon for Jocelyne Girard-Bujold, Christian Jobin for Gérard Binet, Paul Harold Macklin for Andy Savoy and Hon. David Price for Hon. Herb Dhaliwal.

 

In attendance: Library of Parliament: Lalita Acharya, Analyst; Dan Shaw, Analyst; Kristen Douglas, Analyst. House of Commons: Joann Garbig, Legislative Clerk; Jean-Michel Roy, Legislative Clerk.

 

Witnesses: Department of Industry: Susan Bincoletto, Acting Director General, Marketplace Framework Policy Branch; Éric Dagenais, Acting Director, Patent Policy Directorate; Rob Sutherland-Brown, Senior Counsel, Legal Services, Justice Canada; Douglas Clark, Senior Project Leader. Department of Health: Robert Peterson, Director General, Therapeutic Products Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch; David K. Lee, Director, Office of Patented Medicines and Liaison, Therapeutic Products Directorate, Health Products and Food Branch. Department of International Trade: Suzanne Vinet, Director General, Trade Policy, Services, Investment and Intellectual Property Bureau; John Drummond, Deputy Director, Intellectual Property, Information and Technology Trade Policy Division. Department of Foreign Affairs: Marie Gervais-Vidricaire, Director General, Global Issues Bureau; Christopher Armstrong, Senior Advisor, HIV/AIDS. Canadian International Development Agency: Sandra Black, Director, Social Development Policies, Policy Branch.

 
Pursuant to the Order of Reference of Thursday, February 12, 2004, the Committee resumed consideration of Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Patent Act and the Food and Drugs Act.
 

The Committee commenced its clause-by-clause study of the Bill.

 

The Chair called Clause 1.

 

The witnesses answered questions.

 

On Clause 1,

James Rajotte moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 8 on page 1 with the following:

“products to address public health emergencies”

 

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

 
Brian Masse moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 12 on page 1 with the following:

“other epidemics, by enabling countries with insufficient or no manufacturing capacities in the pharmaceutical sector to make effective use of compulsory licensing.”

 

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Brian Masse and it was negatived.

 
Joe Fontana moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 14 on page 1 with the following:

“in this section and in sections 21.03 to 21.19.”

 

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joe Fontana and it was agreed to.

 

By unanimous consent, the amendment was allowed to stand.

 
On motion of Joe Fontana, it was agreed, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing lines 15 to 18 on page 1 with the following:

“"authorization" means an authorization granted under subsection 21.04(1), and includes an authorization renewed under subsection 21.12(1).”

 
Brian Masse moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing lines 6 to 9 on page 2 with the following:

“ented product of the pharmaceutical sector, or any product of the pharmaceutical sector that is manufactured through a patented process, that is needed to address a public health problem, and includes all ingredients that are needed to manufacture the product and all diagnostic kits that are needed to use the product.”

 

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

 
Brian Masse moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 9 on page 2 with the following:

“Schedule in relation to the product, and further includes any product and its corresponding dosage form, strength and route of administration that

( a ) appears on the Model List of Essential Medicines, as amended from time to time, prepared by the World Health Organization, or has been pre-qualified by the World Health Organization as meeting that Organization's quality and safety standards,

( b ) appears on the national list of essential medicines of the country or WTO Member to which the product is to be exported under an authorization, or

( c ) the government of the country or WTO Member to which the product is to be exported under an authorization has stated in writing, to either the TRIPS Council or the Government of Canada through diplomatic channels, that it wishes to obtain the product in order to address a public health problem in that country or WTO Member.”

 

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Brian Masse and it was negatived.

 
On motion of Joe Fontana, it was agreed, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing, in the French version, line 22 on page 2 with the following:

“gique et selon la concentration et la voie d'adminis-”

 
Joe Fontana moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by

(a) by replacing lines 22 to 27 on page 2 with the following:

21.03 ( 1 ) The Governor in Council may, by order,

( a ) on the recommendation of the Minister and the Minister of Health, amend Schedule 1

(i) by adding the name of any patented product that may be used to address public health problems afflicting many developing and least-developed countries, especially those”

(b) replacing line 37 on page 2 with the following:

“ ( b ) on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for International Trade and the Minister for International Cooperation, amend Schedule 2 by adding the name of any”

(c) replacing lines 6 to 11 on page 3 with the following:

“ stating that the country intends to import pharmaceutical products, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision, that it agrees that those products will not be used for commercial purposes and that it undertakes to adopt the measures referred to in Article 4 of that decision;

( c ) on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for International Trade and the Minister for International Cooperation, amend Schedule 3 by adding the name of any”

(d) replacing lines 19 to 26 on page 3 with the following:

“ ( d ) on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for International Trade and the Minister for International Cooperation, amend Schedule 4 by adding the name of

(i) any WTO Member not listed in Schedule 2 or 3 that has provided the TRIPS Council with a notice in writing stating that the WTO Member intends to import, in accordance with the General Council Decision, pharmaceutical products, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of that decision, or

(ii) any country that is not a WTO Member and that is named on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's list of countries that are eligible for official development assistance and that has provided the Government of Canada with a notice in writing through diplomatic channels

(A) stating that it is faced with a national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency,

(B) specifying the name of the pharmaceutical product, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision, and the quantity of that product, needed by the country to deal with the emergency or other urgency,

(C) stating that it has no, or insufficient, pharmaceutical capacity to manufacture that product, and

(D) stating that it agrees that that product will not be used for commercial purposes and that it undertakes to adopt the measures referred to in Article 4 of the General Council Decision.”

(e) replacing line 36 on page 3 with the following:

“on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for International Trade and the Minister for International Cooperation, amend any of Schedules 2 to 4 to remove the”

 

Brian Masse moved, — That the amendment be amended by adding the words “in the prescribed form “after each phrase” “on the recommendation” in sections ( a ), ( b ), ( c ), ( d ), and ( e ).

 

After debate, the question was put on the subamendment of Brian Masse and it was negatived.

 

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joe Fontana and it was agreed to.

 
Joe Fontana moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 42 on page 3 with the following:

“ country or, in the case of a country that is not a WTO Member, the country has permitted any product imported into that country under an authorization to be used for commercial purposes or has failed to adopt the measures referred to in Article 4 of the General Council Decision;”

 

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joe Fontana and it was agreed to.

 
Joe Fontana moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing lines 5 to 18 on page 4 with the following:

“ ( c ) in the case of a WTO Member listed in Schedule 4, the WTO Member has revoked any notification it has given to the TRIPS Council that it will import pharmaceutical products, as defined in paragraph 1(a) of the General Council Decision, only if faced with a national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency;

( d ) in the case of a country listed in Schedule 4 that is not a WTO Member,

(i) the name of the country is no longer on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's list of countries that are eligible for official development assistance,

(ii) the country no longer faces a national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency,

(iii) the country has permitted any product imported into that country under an authorization to be used for commercial purposes, or

(iv) the country has failed to adopt the measures referred to in Article 4 of the General Council Decision;

( e ) in the case of any country or WTO Member listed in Schedule 3 or 4, the country or WTO Member has become recognized by the United Nations as a least-developed country; and

( f ) in the case of any country or WTO Member listed in any of Schedules 2 to 4, the country has notified the Government of Canada, or the WTO Member has notified the TRIPS Council, that it will not import pharmaceutical products, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision.”

 

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of Joe Fontana and it was agreed to.

 
James Rajotte moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by adding after line 18 on page 4 the following:

“(4) An order under this section shall be made in a timely manner.”

 

After debate, the question was put on the amendment of James Rajotte and it was agreed to.

 

Marlene Jennings moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 21.04 (1)(a) be amended by deleting on line 19 on page 4 the words “apply for an authorization under subsection 21.05 (1) ” and replacing it with “to negotiate with an importing country to supply a pharmaceutical product”.

 

After debate, by unanimous consent, the amendment was withdrawn.

 
Joe Fontana moved, — That Bill C-9, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 19 on page 4 to line 23 on page 11 with the following:

21.04 (1) Subject to subsection (3), the Commissioner shall, on the application of any person and on the payment of the prescribed fee, authorize the person to make, construct and use a patented invention solely for purposes directly related to the manufacture of the pharmaceutical product named in the application and to sell it for export to a country or WTO Member that is listed in any of Schedules 2 to 4 and that is named in the application.

(2) The application must be in the prescribed form and set out

( a ) the name of the pharmaceutical product to be manufactured and sold for export under the authorization;

( b ) prescribed information in respect of the version of the pharmaceutical product to be manufactured and sold for export under the authorization;

( c ) the maximum quantity of the pharmaceutical product to be manufactured and sold for export under the authorization;

( d ) for each patented invention to which the application relates, the name of the patentee of the invention and the number, as recorded in the Patent Office, of the patent issued in respect of that invention;

( e ) the name of the country or WTO Member to which the pharmaceutical product is to be exported;

( f ) the name of the person or entity to which the product is to be sold, and prescribed information, if any, concerning that person or entity; and

( g ) any other information that may be prescribed.

(3) The Commissioner shall authorize the use of the patented invention only if

( a ) the applicant has complied with the prescribed requirements, if any;

( b ) the Minister of Health has notified the Commissioner that the version of the pharmaceutical product that is named in the application meets the requirements of the Food and Drugs Act and its regulations, including the requirements under those regulations relating to the marking, embossing, labelling and packaging that identify that version of the product as having been manufactured

(i) in Canada as permitted by the General Council Decision, and

(ii) in a manner that distinguishes it from the version of the pharmaceutical product sold in Canada by, or with the consent of, the patentee or patentees, as the case may be;

( c ) the applicant provides the Commissioner with a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form stating that the applicant had, within the prescribed time before filing the application,

(i) sought from the patentee or, if there is more than one, from each of the patentees a licence to manufacture and sell the pharmaceutical product for export to the country or WTO Member named in the application, and

(ii) provided the patentee, or each of the patentees, as the case may be, with information that is in all material respects identical to the information referred to in paragraphs (2)( a ) to ( g ); and

( d ) the applicant also provides the Commissioner with

(i) if the application relates to a WTO Member listed in Schedule 2, a certified copy of the notice in writing that the WTO Member has provided to the TRIPS Council specifying the name of the pharmaceutical product, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision, and the quantity of that product, needed by the WTO Member, and

(A) a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form by the person filing the application stating that the product to which the application relates is the product specified in the notice and that the product is not patented in that WTO Member, or

(B) a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form by the person filing the application stating that the product to which the application relates is the product specified in the notice and a certified copy of the notice in writing that the WTO Member has provided to the TRIPS Council confirming that the WTO Member has, in accordance with Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement and the provisions of the General Council Decision, granted or intends to grant a compulsory licence to use the invention pertaining to the product,

(ii) if the application relates to a country listed in Schedule 2 that is not a WTO Member, a certified copy of the notice in writing that the country has provided to the Government of Canada through diplomatic channels specifying the name of the pharmaceutical product, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision, and the quantity of that product, needed by the country, and

(A) a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form by the person filing the application stating that the product to which the application relates is the product specified in the notice and that the product is not patented in that country, or

(B) a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form by the person filing the application stating that the product to which the application relates is the product specified in the notice and a certified copy of the notice in writing that the country has provided to the Government of Canada through diplomatic channels confirming that the country has granted or intends to grant a compulsory licence to use the invention pertaining to the product,

(iii) if the application relates to a WTO Member listed in Schedule 3, a certified copy of the notice in writing that the WTO Member has provided to the TRIPS Council specifying the name of the pharmaceutical product, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision, and the quantity of that product, needed by the WTO Member, and stating that the WTO Member has insufficient or no pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity for the production of the product to which the application relates, and

(A) a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form by the person filing the application stating that the product to which the application relates is not patented in that WTO Member, or

(B) a certified copy of the notice in writing that the WTO Member has provided to the TRIPS Council confirming that the WTO Member has, in accordance with Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement and the provisions of the General Council Decision, granted or intends to grant a compulsory licence to use the invention pertaining to the product,

(iv) if the application relates to a WTO Member listed in Schedule 4, a certified copy of the notice in writing that the WTO Member has provided to the TRIPS Council specifying the name of the pharmaceutical product, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision, and the quantity of that product, needed by the WTO Member, and stating that the WTO Member is faced with a national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency and that it has insufficient or no pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity for the production of the product to which the application relates, and

(A) a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form by the person filing the application stating that the product to which the application relates is not patented in that WTO Member, or

(B) a certified copy of the notice in writing that the WTO Member has provided to the TRIPS Council confirming that the WTO Member has, in accordance with Article 31 of the TRIPS Agreement and the provisions of the General Council Decision, granted or intends to grant a compulsory licence to use the invention pertaining to the product, or

(v) if the application relates to a country listed in Schedule 4 that is not a WTO Member, a certified copy of the notice in writing that the country has provided to the Government of Canada through diplomatic channels specifying the name of the pharmaceutical product, as defined in paragraph 1( a ) of the General Council Decision, and the quantity of that product, needed by the country, and stating that it is faced with a national emergency or other circumstances of extreme urgency, that it has insufficient or no pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity for the production of the product to which the application relates, that it agrees that product will not be used for commercial purposes and that it undertakes to adopt the measures referred to in Article 4 of the General Council Decision, and

(A) a solemn or statutory declaration in the prescribed form by the person filing the application stating that the product to which the application relates is not patented in that country, or

(B) a certified copy of the notice in writing that the country has provided to the Government of Canada through diplomatic channels confirming that the country has granted or intends to grant a compulsory licence to use the invention pertaining to the product.

21.05 (1) The authorization must be in the prescribed form and, subject to subsection (2), contain the prescribed information.

(2) The quantity of the product authorized to be manufactured by an authorization may not be more than the lesser of

( a ) the maximum quantity set out in the application for the authorization, and

( b ) the quantity set out in the notice referred to in any of subparagraphs 21.04(3)( d )(i) to (v), whichever is applicable.

21.06 (1) Before exporting a product manufactured under an authorization, the holder of the authorization must establish a website on which is disclosed the prescribed information respecting the name of the product, the name of the country or WTO Member to which it is to be exported, the quantity that is authorized to be manufactured and sold for export and the distinguishing features of the product, and of its label and packaging, as required by regulations made under the Food and Drugs Act .

(2) The holder must maintain the website during the entire period during which the authorization is valid.

21.07 Before exporting any quantity of a product manufactured under an authorization, the holder of the authorization must, at least fifteen days before the product is exported, provide to each of the following a notice specifying the quantity to be exported:

( a ) the patentee or each of the patentees, as the case may be;

( b ) the country or WTO Member named in the authorization; and

( c ) the person or entity that purchased the product to which the authorization relates.

21.08 (1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), on the occurrence of a prescribed event, the holder of an authorization is required to pay to the patentee or each patentee, as the case may be, a royalty determined in the prescribed manner.

(2) In making regulations for the purposes of subsection (1), the Governor in Council must consider the humanitarian and non-commercial reasons underlying the issuance of authorizations under subsection 21.04(1).

(3) The royalties payable under this section must be paid within the prescribed time.

(4) The Federal Court may, in relation to any authorization, make an order providing for the payment of a royalty that is greater than the royalty that would otherwise be required to be paid under subsection (1).

(5) An order may be made only on the application of the patentee, or one of the patentees, as the case may be, and on notice of the application being given by the applicant to the holder of the authorization.

(6) An order may provide for a royalty of a fixed amount or for a royalty to be determined as specified in the order, and the order may be subject to any terms that the Federal Court considers appropriate.

(7) The Federal Court may make an order only if it is satisfied that the royalty otherwise required to be paid is not adequate remuneration for the use of the invention or inventions to which the authorization relates, taking into account

( a ) the economic value of the use of the invention or inventions to the country or WTO Member; and

( b ) the humanitarian and non-commercial reasons underlying the issuance of the authorization.

21.09 An authorization granted under subsection 21.04(1) is valid for a period of two years beginning on the day on which the authorization is granted.

21.1 The use of a patented invention under an authorization is non-exclusive.

21.11 An authorization is non-transferable, other than where the authorization is an asset of a corporation or enterprise and the part of the corporation or enterprise that enjoys the use of the authorization is sold, assigned or otherwise transferred.

21.12 (1) The Commissioner shall, on the application of the person to whom an authorization was granted and on the payment of the prescribed fee, renew the authorization if the person certifies under oath in the renewal application that the quantities of the pharmaceutical product authorized to be exported were not exported before the authorization ceases to be valid and that the person has complied with the terms of the authorization and the requirements of sections 21.06 to 21.08.

(2) An authorization may be renewed only once.

(3) The application for renewal must be made within the 30 days immediately before the authorization ceases to be valid.

(4) An authorization that is renewed is valid for a period of two years beginning on the day immediately following the day of the expiry of the period referred to in section 21.09 in respect of the authorization.

(5) Applications for renewal and renewed authorizations issued under subsection (1) must be in the prescribed form.”

 

It was agreed, — That the clause by clause consideration of Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Patent Act and the Food and Drugs Act, would resume on Thursday, April 22, 2004, at 9:00 a.m..

 

At 1:00 p.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.

 



Louise M. Thibault
Clerk of the Committee

 
 
2004/04/26 8:46 a.m.