Monday, November 2, 2015

Canadian provinces vary widely on coverage of Breast Cancer treatments

New research from the Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) shows the country’s current drug review process is extending patients’ lives in some provinces while leaving others to die in another.
According to the report, Ontario approved the therapies in the shortest length of time while Quebec, Nova Scotia and PEI lagged behind with some of the longest delays in the country.
Perjeta, a patented injectable drug manufactured by Roche Holding AG, is a treatment for HER2+ metastatic breast cancer. In clinical trials, the drug kept the cancer from worsening for six extra months, compared to the current standard of care.
Ontario agreed to cover and pay for Perjeta in November 2013. Quebec took almost two years to follow suit, waiting until July of this year to agree to cover the treatment.
The lack of a firm deadline for provinces to decide which therapy the taxpayer should pay for, and for whom, takes up time that metastatic breast cancer patients don’t have.

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