Sandoz Canada congratulates the Quebec government on implementing a shift towards biosimilars
18 May 2021 - 5:08PM
Sandoz Canada, a leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars,
welcomes the Quebec Government’s shift towards biosimilars.
According to the government’s announcement, this transition will
generate annual savings of more than $100 for the public drug
insurance plan and its insured parties. These savings will be
reinvested in the healthcare system to improve access to innovative
drug therapies, in particular.
Quebec is following the biosimilar transition
policies implemented by British Columbia and Alberta in 2019 and,
more recently, New Brunswick in 2021. With this announcement, the
provinces that have adopted and implemented such a policy now make
it possible for almost half of the Canadian population to benefit
from it1. Under the Quebec initiative, the province will eventually
cover only biosimilar drugs on formularies, with some exceptions,
and will transition patients who use the reference biologic
medicine to the listed biosimilar by April 12, 2022, under the
supervision of their attending physicians.
“At Sandoz Canada, we are pleased to see that
Quebec is adopting a switch policy already initiated by other
provinces and is moving towards biosimilars. We are ready to
support the government, physicians, pharmacists and all healthcare
professionals with our six quality biosimilars, while helping to
generate significant savings for the healthcare system,” said
Michel Robidoux, President and General Manager, Sandoz Canada.
“With COVID-19 placing our healthcare system under major budget
constraints, biosimilar transition policies are an opportunity to
contribute to the sustainability of health system financing and
provide funding for new innovations,” he added.
“The government has stated its intention to
engage in discussions with key healthcare partners, and Sandoz
intends to actively cooperate in these discussions. We want to
share our experience with the Ministry in order to provide patients
with the highest quality of care. It will also be an opportunity to
clarify certain details of the shift towards biosimilars, in
particular with the new regulation (section 80.2) coming into
effect as part of the Act respecting prescription drug insurance,”
said Karine Matteau, Vice President, Bio-Generic Hospital/Physician
channel and Head of Biosimilars at Sandoz Canada. “Sandoz is fully
committed to supporting patients and their healthcare team during
this transition period and beyond through our education initiatives
and our patient support programs. We have set up a website for
Canadians, BiosimilarsGeneration.ca, which contains a wealth of
information and resources related to biosimilars,” she added.
About Biosimilars
A biosimilar is a biologic medicine that has
demonstrated it is highly similar and has no clinically meaningful
differences in efficacy and safety compared to the reference
biologic already authorized for sale.2 Biosimilars may become
commercially available following the expiry of patents and data
protection periods of the reference biologic medicine.
The Patented Medicines Pricing Review Board has
estimated that private and public drug plans across Canada could
save from CA$294 million to CA$1.136 billion by 2021 for
established biosimilars3 available in Canada for at least two
years, and from CA$222 million to CA$447 million by 20234 for new
biosimilars that recently entered the Canadian market.
For further information on biosimilars in
Canada, visit BiosimilarsGeneration.ca, which aims to support and
educate patients, healthcare professionals and Canadians by
providing policy updates from public drug plans, as well as
evidence-based information and resources from Canadian,
international research and clinical communities, and patient
organizations representing Canadians living with chronic diseases
who take biologic medicines. In addition, the site also presents
the positions of organizations that represent Canadian patients
with chronic diseases who take biologic drugs.
Since 2009, Health Canada has authorized 36
biosimilars of reference biologics present on the Canadian market5
and Sandoz Canada has six of them marketed in the country
(Omnitrope, Erelzi, Ziextenzo, Riximyo, Hyrimoz and Inclunox).
About transitioning
In the context of biosimilar use, Health Canada
“considers switching between authorized products to refer to a
change from routine use of one specific product to routine use of
another specific product. Patients and healthcare providers can
have confidence that biosimilars are effective and safe for each of
their authorized indications. No differences are expected in
efficacy and safety following a change in routine use between a
biosimilar and its reference biologic drug in an authorized
indication.”6
About Sandoz Canada
Sandoz International GmbH is a world leader in
generics and biosimilars and a division of the Swiss multinational
Novartis.
Sandoz Canada is a pioneer, a leader and trusted
supplier of quality generics and biosimilars with over
65 million prescriptions per year, based on decades of global
experience and capabilities in the development, manufacturing and
commercialization of its products. Sandoz launched the first
biosimilar in Europe in 2006 and in the Canadian market in
2009.
www.sandoz.ca
Follow us on LinkedIn:
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For interview requests, please contact Paule Pelletier (see
contact information below).
Information:Paule
PelletierSandoz Canada
Inc.+1-514-702-7699paule.pelletier@sandoz.com /
communications.canada@sandoz.com
__________________________
1 Statistics Canada, Population Estimates,
Quarterly,
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1710000901&request_locale=en2
Health Canada Biosimilars Fact Sheet: Biosimilars
Explained.
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/biologics-radiopharmaceuticals-genetic-therapies/applications-submissions/guidance-documents/fact-sheet-biosimilars.html3
Government of Canada, Biologics in Canada.
Part 2: Potential savings associated with
biosimilars in Canada.
https://www.canada.ca/en/patented-medicine-prices-review/services/reports-studies/biologics-part2-biosimilar-savings2018.html#a44
Ibid5 Notice of Compliance Search, Health
Canadahttps://health-products.canada.ca/noc-ac/index-eng.jsp6
Health Canada Fact Sheet on Biosimilars: Switching
https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/biologics-radiopharmaceuticals-genetic-therapies/applications-submissions/guidance-documents/fact-sheet-biosimilars.html