Canada Drs Neil Cashman and Larry Altstiel of ProMIS Neurosciences weigh in on recent progress towards an effective therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, potentially representing a break from three decades of scientific stagnation.   Are we there yet with Alzheimer’s immunotherapies? No. But we have a map, and it’s a good one.…

Canada Some of the top stories coming out of Canadian healthcare and life sciences, including a new GSK flu vaccine deal, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ first approval for an ALS drug, and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s recent smallpox contracts with Chimerix and Bavarian Nordic.   GSK flu vaccine deal renewal (Reuters)…

North America In April, the Canadian Ministry of Health announced the government would not be proceeding with certain proposed amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations which govern the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB)—amendments related to new excessive price factors. The decision, well-received by Innovative Medicines Canada, came after these controversial economic…

Canada In conversation in the October edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) CEO Suzanne McGurn highlights how the work of HTA bodies like CADTH has evolved, the most significant challenges in their work, international collaboration, and RWE integration.   Health technology assessment…

Canada Writing in the September edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, Dr Judith Glennie examines the specific steps that have been taken in the journey towards a National Pharmacare program in Canada, including the creation of a Canadian Drug Agency, a National Strategy for High-Cost Drugs for Rare Diseases, and an…

Canada Writing in the March edition of DIA’s Global Forum magazine, Judith Glennie examines the findings of Health Canada’s consultation with Canadians on what a national strategy for high-cost rare disease drugs could look like.   On January 27, 2021, Health Canada launched a consultation on the development of a National…

Canada Clint Sharples, CEO of Heritage Cannabis, gives a potted history of the medical cannabis industry in Canada, its current legal status, provincial variations in patient registrations, financial performance, the impact of COVID-19, and where the field is headed for the future.   The cannabis plant has been used as a…

Canada As the only country in the world to boast a universal healthcare system that does not cover prescription drugs, Canada has been struggling with the concept of ‘national pharmacare’ for a number of years now, with fierce advocates on both sides of the debate.   Canada [has] some of the…

Canada The latest news from Canadian pharma including deals for J&J’s and Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccines, an abrupt end to Canada’s participation in CanSino Biologics’ clinical trials the country’s first medical cannabis clinical trial, and Innovative Medicines Canada’s top priorities.   Canada signs deals for J&J, Novavax COVID vaccines https://pharmaphorum.com/news/canada-signs-deals-for-jj-novavax-COVID-vaccines/ Under the…

Pricing Pushback from drug companies on Canada’s newest drug pricing regulations has led the country’s regulatory body to reconsider their implementation. Companies cite the push for cost-effectiveness as a reason for withdrawing drug approval applications, cutting jobs, or delaying launches, claiming the new pricing regulations will substantially reduce revenues.    The…

Canada Dr Neil Cashman looks at the potential impact of US FDA approval for Biogen’s aducanumab on the search for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) treatments, and how Canada is playing a leading role in the development of the next generation of AD therapies.   We’re at the advent of a potential landmark…

Canada John L. Wallace of Antibe Therapeutics highlights how Canadian innovation stands to put the country at the forefront of the next wave of global biopharmaceutical R&D. BlueRock Therapeutics, a promising North American start-up with a new Parkinson’s disease drug, was recently sold to Germany’s Bayer at a $1 billion valuation.…