On July 23, 2024, the Governments of Canada and British Columbia (BC) announced the execution of a National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases (DRD) Agreement. This is the first DRD agreement reached since the
Drug pricing: PMPRB launches next phase of the Guidelines consultation
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) has released a new Discussion Guide for consultation on new price review Guidelines. The Discussion Guide outlines a proposed new price review process and requests stakeholder feedback on several specific topics…
CADTH to Transform into Canada’s Drug Agency
Canada’s Drug and Health Technology Agency (CADTH) has announced that, as of May 1, 2024, its new operating name will be Canada’s Drug Agency / l’Agence des médicaments du Canada (CDA-AMC). The official launch will occur…
Pharmacare Update: Budget 2024
Drug pricing: PMPRB announces next steps in Guidelines consultation
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) has announced new details regarding the progress of its consultation on new price review Guidelines.
Phase 2: Discussion Guide
The next phase of the PMPRB’s consultation will begin in summer 2024…
Drug price negotiations: pCPA Temporary Access Process launched
The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) has launched its Temporary Access Process (pTAP) to facilitate early market access to new drugs that were assessed under the time-limited reimbursement recommendation (TLR) pathway at the Canada Drug…
National Pharmacare bill tabled
On February 29, 2024, the federal government tabled Bill C-64, An Act respecting pharmacare (the Pharmacare Act). The Pharmacare Act outlines the “foundational principles” for the first phase of a national universal drug coverage plan in Canada. The legislation…
Federal Court of Appeal clarifies law on patentability of methods of medical treatment
The Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) has held that in order to determine whether a patent claims an unpatentable method of medical treatment (MMT), it is necessary to determine whether the use of the invention requires…
Health Canada disclosing more information on pending generic drug submissions
On February 23, 2024, Health Canada published a Notice advising that it was making its review process for generic drug submissions more transparent. Specifically, for generic drug submissions accepted into review on or after April 1, 2024, Health Canada will…
Drug pricing: PMPRB releases “What We Learned” Report on guidelines consultation
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB or Board) has released a “What We Learned” Report (the Report), marking the next step along the path to new Guidelines. The Report was prepared by Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc.…