Evidence of meeting #55 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was drugs.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:30 p.m.
President, Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D)
I understand your question is focused on the claim that it was uniquely that a country would not identify itself.
There are other lists, and I think Madam Brunelle listed a number of other areas where people speculated why it doesn't work. One of them from Industry Canada was in fact on the cost of generics in Canada. There are a number of areas on why it may not work.
5:30 p.m.
Senior Vice-President and General Counsel, Gilead Sciences Inc.
I have one observation on this. We're talking about why CAMR is not working. Mr. Kay has come up with an example, where a country that appears to have a substantial need for a product is not even willing to identify itself to avail itself of a low-cost generic.
I think it highlights a broader problem, which is the true desire of these countries to deal with HIV. If they're not even willing to be named to deal with their patients and the 300,000 children who are dying, it's a real problem.
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
My time is almost up, Mr. Kay, but I think you wanted to respond. Could you tell me why the country did not want to be identified, if you know that?
5:30 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Apotex Inc.; Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association
I cannot answer that because I don't know. I think several different hypotheses have been put forward as to why the country didn't want to be identified.
But I'd like to comment on the fact that generic pricing in Canada is an irrelevancy as far as this one order goes. We are providing it at 39¢. MSF was happy to buy it at our cost.
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Well, I'd love to continue this discussion, but I've run out of time.
I want to thank you all for coming today. I appreciate your time. I think it was very informative, and we appreciate that.
Members, we will have a meeting on this in a week and a half. I'd encourage you to give your thoughts to the researchers as soon as possible so that we can have a fruitful discussion at that point on possible report recommendations, whatever the committee decides to do.
Thank you all for coming.
The meeting is adjourned.