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Brazil approves breaking AIDS patent

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 2 (UPI) -- Brazilian lawmakers have approved a project authorizing the government to break patents on drugs for treating AIDS, O Globo reported Thursday.

For years, Brazil's Ministry of Health has been fighting with pharmaceutical companies for the right to purchase for a fraction of the cost AIDS drugs for Brazil's federal AIDS treatment program.

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According of Brazilian Federal Deputy Roberto Gouveia, the decision to break company patents and produce generic drugs does not break international accords because global patent regulations stipulate a patent can be broken for the benefit of public health.

"We need to approve this urgently to keep (pharmaceutical companies) from maintaining a stranglehold on the distribution of anti-AIDS drugs," said Gouveia.

Brazil is recognized as a world leader in the fight against AIDS.

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