A majority of Canadians (73.1%) agree that the Government should strongly enforce intellectual property rights in relation to the development of new medicines. [1]

Over the past decade, new developments in medicine to treat or prevent disease have contributed significantly to declining hospitalization rates and better health outcomes in Canada. Innovative drugs have played a key role in shifting care from hospitals to ambulatory and home based care.

As governments and policy makers in both the developed and developing worlds grapple with the question of how best to provide health care to their citizens, they must ensure that their decisions do not negatively affect innovation.

[1] Canadians on Intellectual Property Poll (April 4-9, 2008), Nanos Research - http://www.nanosresearch.com/library/polls/POLNAT-S08-T295.pdf