Kenyan Parliament Removes Requirement From Drug Importation Law Mandating Generic Importers Have Permission From Patent Holders
The Kenyan Parliament has removed an amendment to the Industrial Property Act that required generic drug importers to first obtain permission from the patent holder of the brand-name versions of the drugs, paving the way for the importation of generic antiretroviral drugs into the country, Agence France-Presse reports (Agence France-Presse, 8/16). The IPA, passed by the parliament last year, aimed to facilitate the importation of generic medicines. However, on June 7, five weeks after the IPA went into effect, the law was amended to state that the approval of the patent holder is required before importation can proceed. Kenyan AIDS activists had lobbied the government to remove the provision (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/14). The decision to remove the amendment was announced on Thursday, and AIDS activists welcomed the move. "This means that the government and the non-profit sector and church hospitals will now find it easier to shop around for the best deal from all over the world," Chris Ouma, a doctor working for the organization ActionAid, said (Agence France-Presse, 8/16).
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