Alberta covers costly cancer drug

From the Calgary Herald:
Alberta is now footing the bill for a common colon cancer treatment, leading advocates to call for provincial funding of a second drug with a steep price tag.

The provincial government has begun picking up the tab for Oxaliplatin after years of controversy because many patients paid thousands to undergo the therapy, an effective colon cancer treatment.

Alberta is expected to spend about $7 million a year to treat about 300 patients with the drug.

It's certainly a positive step for patients," said Dr. Tony Fields, a vice-president with the Alberta Cancer Board. ...more

N.S. approves funding for two more cancer drugs

From CTV News:
Nova Scotia will fund two additional cancer drugs - but Avastin is not one of them.

Health Minister Chris D'Entremont says Oxaliplatin, a drug that treats colorectal cancer, and Mab Campath, a drug that treats chronic lymphocytic leukemia have been added to the list.

The decision is based on recommendations by the province's Cancer Systemic Therapy Policy Committee, which includes oncologists, pharmacists and cancer survivors.

The committee feels Oxaliplatin can treat colorectal patients after surgery and prevent the disease from progressing. ...more

Sanofi-aventis gets okay to market colorectal cancer drug

From the Globe and Mail:
A drug company has been given the green light by Health Canada to market the long-established colorectal cancer drug oxaliplatin.

Now that Sanofi-aventis Canada Inc. has received its notice of compliance, it alone holds the license to market the drug known by the trade name Eloxatin. The move means three other companies that sold versions of oxaliplatin at deep discount prices under Health Canada's special access program, will have to stop.

“Within the next 4 to 6 weeks we should be able to put [Eloxatin] in the market,” Joëlle Sissmann, vice-president of corporate affairs for Sanofi-aventis Canada Inc., said in a telephone interview from Montreal Monday.

“We got a call this morning that Sanofi had its notice of compliance and we were no longer allowed to sell our product,” Jennifer Wardrop, managing director of Sigmacon Lifesciences Inc., said in a telephone interview Monday. ...more

Trade gambit doubles cost of cancer medicine

From the Globe and Mail:
A chemotherapy medicine that sells for $500 a vial is about to be marketed for double that amount due to changes in Canada's intellectual property rules that, unwittingly, will leave one pharmaceutical company with a monopoly on a long-established cancer drug.

The regulation changes will give Sanofi-aventis Canada eight years of market exclusivity over the colorectal cancer drug oxaliplatin as soon as the firm receives its licence from Health Canada to sell it - expected as early as next month.

That means that three other companies will have to stop selling versions of oxaliplatin to cancer centres, hospitals and patients at deep discounts. ...more