News

Gut-selective treatment now funded publicly for Canadians with inflammatory bowel disease

Several provinces across Canada including Ontario and British Columbia, have agreed to fund ENTYVIO^® (vedolizumab), the first and only gut-selective biologic therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) through their public provincial drug plans.
 
ENTYVIO^® is now funded in Ontario and British Columbia for adults with moderate or severe biologic-naïve and biologic-experienced ulcerative colitis (UC) or Crohn's disease (CD).
 
“We are seeing in clinical practice what we expected of ENTYVIO^® from its clinical studies – that it is an effective option for patients with IBD moving to biologic therapy,” said Dr. Brian Feagan, a gastroenterologist and Director of Robarts Clinical Trials at the Robarts Research Institute in London, Ontario. “Being able to offer ENTYVIO^® to manage the debilitating symptoms of IBD is excellent news for physicians and patients.”
 
The listings follow the successful conclusion of negotiations between Takeda Canada Inc. and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), the body set up by all the provinces and territories to jointly negotiate terms of public drug plan listings with pharmaceutical companies.[1] ENTYVIO^® is already covered by almost all private insurers in Canada, but many Canadians with IBD rely on public provincial plans for their treatments.
 
“The unique gut-selective mode of action with this treatment is an important attribute because it directly targets the disease, which leaves less potential for side effects,” said Dr. Brian Bressler, Director of the Advanced IBD Training Program and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. “We have seen good results with many patients to date and are pleased that it will be available to more patients now that it is available through provincial public drug plans.”
 
In addition to British Columbia and Ontario, ENTYVIO^® is now available through public drug plans in Yukon and Nova Scotia for adults with moderate to severe UC or CD who have failed conventional therapy or biological therapy such as anti-TNF therapy.
 
In Saskatchewan ENTYVIO^® has been added to its public formulary as an exception drug benefit for the treatment of UC in patients unresponsive to high-dose intravenous steroids.
 
In Quebec, ENTYVIO^® is available for bio-naïve and bio-experienced adults with UC and for CD it is available after failure on all funded anti-TNF therapies or in those contraindicated to receive or unable to tolerate anti-TNFs therapies.
 
"Canadians living with Crohn's and/or colitis need access to drugs and treatments that could alleviate their symptoms and help them achieve remission which has a huge impact on quality of life,” said Mina Mawani, President and CEO, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada. “This news is very encouraging and we are pleased that patients will have access to ENTYVIO^® through their public drug plans. We now need to see this translated into availability in all provinces as soon as possible so all Canadians living with these chronic diseases have the same opportunity to improve their quality of life."
 
ENTYVIO^® is Takeda Canada’s innovative biologic treatment for the two most common types of IBD, CD and UC.[2] ENTYVIO^® was the 2016 winner of the prestigious Prix Galien Canada - Innovative Product Award, recognizing its unique mode of action and ability to offer an efficacious gut-selective treatment option for patients living with moderate to severe UC or CD.[3] 
 
“We are very pleased that Ontario, British Columbia and other public drug plans have recognized the need for additional IBD treatment options and will continue our discussions so Canadians with UC and CD in all provinces can benefit,” said Chatrick Paul, General Manager of Takeda Canada. “ENTYVIO^®has been enthusiastically received by physicians and patients since it was first approved in Canada in 2015 and we know it is anxiously awaited by those who depend on public drug plans.”

[1] Benefits Canada, How the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance works; accessed March 13, 2017, at: http://www.benefitscanada.com/benefits/health-benefits/how-the-pan-canadian-pharmaceutical-alliance-works-81307

[2] Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, Newly Diagnosed; accessed April 25, 2017, at: http://www.crohnsandcolitis.ca/Living-with-Crohn-s-Colitis/Diagnostic-recent

[3] Prix Galien Canada, 2016 Laureates; accessed March 13, 2017 at: http://eng.prix-galien-canada.com/2016-laureates.html