Advocacy

Interactive Hep C Treatment Resource

Interactive Hep C Treatment ResourceAn interactive hep C treatment resource, Hepatitis C Treatment OPTIONS: Basic Information for Patients, has been created by Hepatitis Education Canada to prepare folks for what they’ll need to know to have a treatment discussion with a healthcare provider.

The tool works by asking a user to answer 3 multiple-choice questions and then press next. With the answers to the questions, it then lists what treatment options the Canadian Association of the Study of the Liver (CASL) might recommend according to the highest ‘cure’ rates during clinical trials.

The 3 multiple-choice questions asked by the interactive resource are:

  • What is your hepatitis C genotype?
  • Have you ever had hepatitis C treatment?
  • Have you ever been diagnosed with cirrhosis?

Before asking these questions, the interactive hep C treatment resource first explains what genotypes, hep C treatments, and liver cirrhosis are with the help of very short videos.

With the answers to the 3 multiple-choice questions, the resource tool then lists the CASL’s top 2015 recommended treatment options. For example, for someone who inputs hep C genotype 1a, treatment experienced, with cirrhosis, the tool lists the treatments Harvoni + Ribavirin (RBV) and Holkira Pak + Ribavirin (RBV) as treatment possibilities. The tool then lists links to more information about the listed treatment options.

The Hepatitis C Treatment OPTIONS: Basic Information for Patients is a easy-to-use, well-designed resource that is mainly intended for those who’ve not yet seen a specialist or don’t have access to one in their area. However, it can be used by anyone! Explore it and learn more about hepatitis C treatments!

Hepatitis Education Canada

Hepatitis Education Canada is a project of Hepatitis Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control with support from the University of British Columbia and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Drug Pipeline

Another Step Towards Approval for Sunvepra

Another Step Towards Approval for SunvepraSunvepra (asunaprevir) will soon be considered for BC PharmaCare coverage. Therefore, your input will again soon be sought.

Tentatively, patient and caregiver input into Sunvepra’s approval process will be requested from Wednesday May 18, 2016 to MIDNIGHT ON Wednesday June 15, 2016.

How to Add Your Voice to the BC PharmaCare Coverage Review for Sunvepra (asunaprevir)

If you are a BC resident and answer yes to any of the following questions, you can give your input into whether or not the treatment should be covered by BC PharmaCare:

  • Do you have hep C?
  • Are you a caregiver/loved one to someone who has hep C?
  • Does your patient group represent patients who have hep C AND have you registered with PharmaCare to give input? (Learn more about registering your organization).

Please note that PharmaCare’s questionnaire for Sunvepra (asunaprevir) input tentatively wont be available for another two weeks. The Hepatitis C Treatment Information Project will follow this development and keep you updated.

Sunvepra (asunaprevir)

Sunvepra (asunaprevir) is prescribed in combination with other treatments/direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for patients with chronic hepatitis C genotypes 1 or 4 and compensated liver disease, including cirrhosis.

Sunvepra in combination with Daklinza, peginterferon, and ribavirin, was tested on those with hep C genotype 1 or 4 who were prior non-responders (patients who tried treatment but it failed to achieve SVR/’cure’) and succeeded with great results. High SVR12 rates were achieved with genotype 1 (93.2%) and genotype 4 (100%) patients. (Health Canada)

For more information, please contact BC PharmaCare’s Your Voice or the Hepatitis C Treatment Information Project.

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*Health Canada granted Sunvepra a Notice of Compliance (NOC) on March 9th, 2016. A CADTH Common Drug Review for Sunvepra began in 2015 and patient input was sent in by Canadian patient groups, including the Pacific Hepatitis C Network, for this review then. After the input was sent, the CADTH Common Drug Review was temporarily suspended as the manufacturer, Bristol Myers Squibb Canada Inc., requested time to provide additional information. This temporary suspension was lifted on March 15th, 2016.

Drug Pipeline

Sunvepra (asunaprevir) Approved in Canada

Sunvepra (asunaprevir) Approved in CanadaSunvepra (asunaprevir) has been approved as a hepatitis C treatment in Canada!* Health Canada granted the treatment a Notice of Compliance (NOC) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, genotype 1 or 4, in adult patients with compensated liver disease, including liver cirrhosis (liver scarring).

Health Canada has stated that Sunvepra is to be taken in combination with other hep C direct-acting antivirals/treatments. It has also stated that:

  • Treatment with Sunvepra should be initiated and monitored by a physician experienced in treating hep C.
  • Sunvepra must not be administered by itself.
  • Treatment length depends on the viral genotype and subtype.
  • Sunvepra has not been studied in treatment experienced patients who have tried to treat their hep C already with a treatment regimen that included Sunvepra or other hep C protease inhibitors.
  • Sunvepra should not be taken by those with moderate or severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B or C, score 7 or greater) and by patients with decompensated liver disease.

For more information, please see Sunvepra’s product monograph, available through Health Canada, or Health Canada’s Summary Basis of Decision (SBD) document for Sunvepra.

What a Notice of Compliance (NOC) Means for Sunvepra (asunaprevir)

Receiving a Notice of Compliance allows a treatment to be sold in Canada with official approval. If a drug has a Notice of Compliance, a doctor may prescribe it – but at this stage the new drug is still not available on public drug plans, like BC PharmaCare, just private insurers. Private insurers each decide company coverage of the new drug (i.e. what percentage of the drug costs they will cover).

Sunvepra (asunaprevir)

Sunvepra (asunaprevir) is prescribed in combination with other treatments/direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for patients with chronic hepatitis C genotypes 1 or 4 and compensated liver disease, including cirrhosis.

Sunvepra in combination with Daklinza, peginterferon, and ribavirin, was tested on those with hep C genotype 1 or 4 who were prior non-responders (patients who tried treatment but it failed to achieve SVR/cure) and succeeded with great results. High SVR12 rates were achieved with genotype 1 (93.2%) and genotype 4 (100%) patients. (Health Canada)

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*Health Canada granted Sunvepra a Notice of Compliance (NOC) on March 9th, 2016. A CADTH Common Drug Review for Sunvepra began in 2015 and patient input was sent in by Canadian patient groups, including the Pacific Hepatitis C Network, for this review then. After the input was sent, the review was temporarily suspended as the manufacturer, Bristol Myers Squibb Canada Inc., requested time to provide additional information. This temporary suspension was lifted in early 2016.

Drug Pipeline

Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir CTAC Webinar

Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir CTAC Patient Group Input WebinarThis Monday, May 2nd, from 11 AM to 12 PM (PDT/in BC) / 2 PM to 3 PM (EDT/in Ontario), the Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC) will be hosting a webinar about the exciting new hep C treatment sofosbuvir/velpatasvir.

Following the webinar, there will be a survey to collect information that will help them write a patient input report for sofosbuvir/velpatasvir’s Common Drug Review. CTAC’s sofosbuvir/velpatasvir survey is different from PHCN’s patient input survey or PHCN’s loved ones/caregivers survey. Please consider filling out the still available PHCN survey that was created for you as well as CTAC’s survey.

Registration for the CTAC webinar is required to attend. Click here to register and for more information about the webinar.

The Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC)

CTAC is a Canadian non-governmental organization led by and for people living with HIV and HIV/HCV co-infection. Since 1996, they have been working to secure and ensure equitable, affordable, and timely access to treatment and care and support for people in Canada living with HIV and HIV/HCV co-infection.

Patient Group Input Reports Requested by CADTH’s Common Drug Reviews

Within the Canadian drug approval process, Health Canada first evaluates a drug’s safety, clinical effectiveness, and its manufacturing process. The Common Drug Review (CDR) by CADTH then assesses the treatment’s clinical and cost-effectiveness as it compares to other treatments.

During Common Drug Reviews, CADTH requests patient input reports. These patient input reports help ensure that health outcomes and issues important to patients are incorporated into the Common Drug Review process in a formal and meaningful way.

 Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir

Sofosbuvir/velpatasvir is an all-pill, short-course (sometimes only 8 weeks), interferon-free treatment that can be taken with or without ribavirin. In Phase 3 clinical trials, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir (with or without ribavirin) cured an overall 99% of those with genotype 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 hep C and was found to be well tolerated by patients.

“This drug regimen changes the standard of care in treating patients with HCV. We can now cure almost everyone with a very simple treatment,” said Dr. Jordan Feld, a liver specialist at Toronto Western Hospital.

Drug Pipeline

Daklinza and Sovaldi’s BC PharmaCare Decision (for HCV GT3)

Daklinza and Sovaldi's PharmaCare DecisionBC PharmaCare has posted notice that it will not cover Daklinza (generic name daclatasvir) when it is combined with Sovaldi (generic name sofosbuvir) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C genotype 3 infection, in their list of covered treatments.

BC PharmaCare listed the following three reasons for their decision:

  • “The available clinical evidence included only a small number of genotype 3 patients treated, and did not provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate efficacy compared to current sofosbuvir plus ribavirin (RBV) regimen. There are no comparative head-to head trials with sofosbuvir plus RBV or other combinations. Therefore, there is no evidence that daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir is more effective or safer than sofosbuvir plus RBV.” (BC PharmaCare)
  • “At the submitted confidential price, daclatasvir plus sofosbuvir 12-week regimen is less costly than the transparent price of a 24-week course of sofosbuvir plus RBV.” (BC PharmaCare)
  • “The Ministry of Health engaged in discussions with the manufacturer for daclatasvir through the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), but the pCPA participating jurisdictions agreed that the parameters required for negotiations by both the manufacturer and the participating jurisdictions cannot be achieved through negotiations at this time.” (BC PharmaCare)

More information about this decision can be found in the treatment’s Drug Coverage Decision for B.C. PharmaCare.

Daklinza and Sovaldi

Daklinza and Sovaldi is a Health Canada approved treatment for those with chronic hep C genotype 1, 2, or 3, including those with cirrhosis. It is an all-oral, short-course (12 or 24 weeks), interferon-free, possibly ribavirin-free treatment.

A sustained viral response (SVR12), or ”cure”, has been achieved by  ~90% of patients infected by hep C genotype 3 who have been treated with Daklinza and Sovaldi. The treatment has had higher success rates when treating hep C genotypes 1 or 2. (Health Canada)

More information about the treatment combination and its Health Canada approval can be found on Health Canada’s Summary Basis of Decision for Daklinza page.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada’s CLAIRE Program

Canadians and British Columbians prescribed the Health Canada approved treatment Daklinza and Sovaldi, with, in some cases, ribavirin, can still request to be enrolled in the CLAIRE patient support program. The CLAIRE patient support program was designed to help patients seek coverage and provide access to a customized list of services. It was designed so that one person will take care of each patient through the program’s duration. For more information, contact your doctor, nurse, or contact the program at: 1-844-HCV-2559 (phone number), 1-844-FAX-2559 (fax number), [email protected] (email address).

Advocacy

BC gives $5 million to expand hepatitis C efforts

BC gives $5 million to expand hepatitis C effortsApril 21, 2016 – The St. Paul’s Foundation, in collaboration with the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BCCfE), the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), the Vancouver Coastal Health, and the University of British Columbia, has been given $5 million for a research study on how to reduce new infections of hepatitis C in BC.

The funding will be used to “help those at increased risk of re-infection with hepatitis C, by focusing on engagement with the health system, and it will help to evaluate the health outcomes with our current treatment regimens,” stated Health Minister Terry Lake at the morning announcement in Vancouver.

The research will focus on “individuals in Vancouver who have been successfully cured of hepatitis C, but who have been identified as at increased risk of re-infection. It will also evaluate the impact and outcomes of current hepatitis C treatments, and identify the next steps required to optimize treatment outcomes in B.C.” (BCCfE)

This hepatitis C research funding announcement was made today by the Health Minister Terry Lake and BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS (BCCfE)’s director Dr. Julio Montaner.

At the announcement, Dr. Mel Krajden, medical lead for hepatitis at the BC Centre for Disease Control, pointed out that “By understanding how to optimize treatment outcomes, we can maximize the individual and societal impact of these very promising therapies.” (BCCfE)

Links to More Information about the Announcement

  • Link to the full Press Release posted by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
  • Link to The Vancouver Sun article entitled AIDS expert to head $5-million research efforts on hepatitis C, includes quotes from Daryl Luster, president of PHCN
  • Link to CBC article entitled Hepatitis C research in B.C. given $5M boost

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Information from BCCfE’s press release

Advocacy

The International Liver Congress 2016 Part I

The International Liver Congress 2016 Part IThe International Liver Congress 2016

The International Liver Congress 2016 (#ILC2016), the annual European Association for the Study of the Liver meeting, is taking place this week in Barcelona, Spain. This blog post is a collection of just some of the topics that have already been discussed at The International Liver Congress 2016.

Topics from The International Liver Congress’s Start

Summary: The all-oral combination of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir with GS-9857, a drug in clinical trials, has been found to be safe and effective on patients who have had treatments fail for them. With the treatment, 99% of trial subjects achieved SVR12.

Summary: A discussion about the potential risks and benefits of treating those with late-stage liver disease. Dr Carlos Fernández Carrillo, Liver Unit of Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda University Hospital, Spain, stated that, “The results of our study clearly show that those patients suffering from very advanced liver disease may not obtain benefit from these treatments.”

  • High rate of cancer recurrence found in certain hepatitis C patients

Summary: The study shows that those with hep C who had been previously cured of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer, had a chance of the cancer returning during or after treating their hep C. Researchers say that more study is required.

  • One year after universal HCV treatment, Portugal shows 96% SVR rate

Summary: Last year the Portuguese government approved treatment for all of their citizens with hep C. 96% of them experienced sustained virologic response.

Abstracts can be found on the ILC 2016 website.

Press Releases by Pharmaceutical Companies from Barcelona

  • AbbVie Announces High SVR Rates with VIEKIRAX® (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir tablets) + EXVIERA® (dasabuvir tablets) Regardless of the Presence of Resistance-Associated Variants Prior to Treatment in Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

  • AbbVie Announces Real-World Data with VIEKIRAX® (ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir tablets) and EXVIERA® (dasabuvir tablets) from Large German Hepatitis C-Registry

  • AbbVie’s Investigational, Pan-Genotypic Regimen of ABT-493 and ABT-530 Shows High SVR Rates in Genotype 1 Hepatitis C Patients Who Failed Previous Therapy with Direct-Acting Antivirals

  • Merck’s ZEPATIER™ (Elbasvir and Grazoprevir) Showed Superiority on Efficacy and Safety Endpoints Compared to Sofosbuvir Plus Peginterferon and Ribavirin Treatment Regimen in Phase 3 Trial

The European Association for the Study of the Liver

Founded in 1966, the European Association for the Study of the Liver is the leading liver association in Europe. Their annual meetings bring together scientific and medical experts from a broad range of fields to discuss their research and findings.

Drug Pipeline

Holkira Pak approved to treat more patients

Holkira Pak approved to treat more patientsOn April 11, 2016, Health Canada approved Holkira Pak to treat patients who are HCV/HIV-1 co-infected and those with hep C (HCV) who have had liver transplants.

The efficacy and safety of Holkira Pak to treat patients with hep C genotype 1 co-infected with HIV-1 has been established. The efficacy and safety of Holkira Pak with ribavirin has also been proven when used to treat liver transplant recipients with normal hepatic function and a Metavir fibrosis score of ≤ 2, regardless of whether the virus is hepatitis C genotype 1a or 1b.

Holkira Pak

Holkira Pak is a treatment for patients with chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C without severe liver damage. It is an all-pill, short-course, interferon-free treatment that can be taken with or without ribavirin.

In Phase 3 clinical trials, Holkira Pak (with or without ribavirin) cured an overall 97% of those with genotype 1 hep C and was found to be well tolerated by patients. 98% of clinical trial participates completed treatment. In Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, the overall rates of treatment discontinuation due to side effects were low (0.2%).

Holkira Pak for Patients HCV/HIV-1 Co-Infected

In the clinical trial Turquoise-I, 94% of patients who were HCV/HIV-1 co-infected were cured of hep C, achieved a sustained virologic response, with Holkira Pak and ribavirin.

Holkira Pak for Liver Transplant Recipients

Holkira Pak cured 97% of liver transplant recipients in clinical trial. Those clinical trial results and additional information about the trial can be found in The New England Journal of Medicine.

For more information about Holkira Pak, hep C treatments for those HCV/HIV co-infected, or for those who have had liver transplants, please visit PHCN’s Hepatitis C Treatment Information Project or email.

Drug Pipeline

In the Final Steps of the Canadian Drug Approval Pipeline

In the Final Steps of the Canadian Drug Approval PipelineCurrently, there are a couple of hepatitis C treatments making their way through the final steps of the Canadian drug approval pipeline. The following table was created to highlight these treatments and highlight the ways that you may be able to include your voice in their approval process.

Hepatitis C Treatments in the Final Steps of the Canadian Drug Approval Pipeline

Technivie (ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir) +/- Ribavirin (RBV) Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) + Daklinza (daclatasvir) +/- RBV Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir +/- RBV Zepatier (elbasvir / grazoprevir) +/- RBV Zepatier (elbasvir / grazoprevir) + Sovaldi (sofosbuvir)
Treatment Drug Classes NS5A Inhibitor, NS3/4A Protease Inhibitor, and Ritonavir, a booster for paritaprevir Nucleotide NS5B Polymerase Inhibitor, NS5A Inhibitor Nucleotide NS5B Polymerase Inhibitor, NS5A Inhibitor NS5A Inhibitor, NS3/4A Protease Inhibitor NS5A Inhibitor, NS3/4A Protease Inhibitor, Nucleotide NS5B Polymerase Inhibitor
Steps in Canadian Drug Approval Pipeline Step 5 – Provincial Review Step 5 – Provincial Review Step 4 – Common Drug Review by CADTH Step 4 – Common Drug Review by CADTH / Step 5 – Provincial Review Step 4 – Common Drug Review by CADTH / Step 5 – Provincial Review
Currently Seeking Patient Input No No Yes Yes Yes
Genotype (GT) Health Canada has Approved it for 4 1, 2, 3 This treatment has just begun the Canadian review process. Clinical trials have examined it on hep C genotypes 1-6. 1, 3, 4 3
Under BC PharmaCare Review for Genotype 4 Genotype 1, 2 or 3 without RBV, Genotype 2 or 3 with RBV Genotype 1, 3, 4 with or without RBV 3
Approximate SVR (Approx Rate of Cure) 90% without RBV, 100% with RBV 90 – 100% 94 – 100% 93 – 100% 91 – 100%
May Require PR* No
May Not Require RBV
 Yes
Daily Pills 1 +/- twice daily RBV 2 +/- twice daily RBV 1 +/- twice daily RBV 1 +/- twice daily RBV 2 once daily
Possible Weeks of Treatment 12 12 or 24 8, 12, or 24 8, 12, or 16 12
Limited Most Common Side Effects**  (Ribavirin can affect side effects)
  • Headache
  • Insomnia
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness
  • Weakness (asthenia)
  • Diarrhea
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness (fatigue)
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness (fatigue)
  • Anemia
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness (fatigue)
  • Headache
  • Nausea
  • Tiredness (fatigue)
Drug Warnings (Healthcare providers, patient assistance programs, and/or online product monographs, links below, have more information)

Technivie is not for patients with moderate to severe liver impairment (Child-Pughs B and C). Technivie should not be taken while taking: ethinyl estradiol-containing medicines, drugs that are sensitive cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A substrates and for which elevated plasma concentrations are associated with serious adverse reactions, strong CYP2C8 inhibitors and inducers, moderate or strong inducers of CYP3A.

 Sovaldi is not for patients taking amiodarone. Tell your doctor if you are taking CYP3A inhibitors or P-gp, OATP 1B1, 1B3, BCRP, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin, or St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) as they limit Daklinza’s effectiveness. Patients taking amiodarone should not take Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) in any combination.

Zepatier is not for patients with moderate to severe liver impairment (Child-Pughs B and C). Zepatier is contraindicated with organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B (OATP1B) inhibitors, strong inducers of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A), and efavirenz.

Zepatier is not for patients with moderate to severe liver impairment (Child-Pughs B and C). Zepatier is contraindicated with organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B (OATP1B) inhibitors, strong inducers of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A), and efavirenz.

Patients taking amiodarone should not take Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) in any combination.
General Hep C Treatment Usage Warning Do not take treatments while taking recreational drugs or over-the-counter drugs, such as St. John’s wort, without first talking with your healthcare provider as they may interact with each other. Tell your doctor if you may be or may become pregnant. The safety and efficacy of most of these treatments in children less than 18 years of age has not been established.
Patient Assistance Program Contact Information AbbVie Care 1-844-471-2273 Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada’s CLAIRE Program 1-844-HCV-2559 Gilead’s Momentum Patient Assistance Program 1-855-447- 7977 Merck Care Program 1-866-872-5773
Information by Health Canada Technivie Daklinza Zepatier
Information about HCV / HIV Co-infection Technivie (by CATIE) Daklinza (by CATIE)

Sovaldi / Velpatasvir (by hepmag)

 Zepatier (by CATIE)
*PR stands for pegylated interferon with ribavirin. It may be combined with other drugs for the treatment of hep C. RBV stands for ribavirin. **If patients experience treatment side effects, they are usually not severe enough to stop treatment. 

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Information was gathered from Health Canada’s Drug and Health Products sheets, BC PharmaCare Drug Information sheets,  CATIE, hepmag, product monographs, and the Hepatitis C Treatment Information Project within the past week.

Drug Pipeline

Take this survey. Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir Input Requested.

The above survey links will only remain open until April 27th, 2016, so please complete a survey and share the survey links with others ASAP.

The Drug Approval Process is Seeking Patient and Caregiver Input

The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) wants to hear from you! They are currently reviewing the hep C treatment sofosbuvir / velpatasvir. As part of their review, they are seeking patient and caregiver input about hep C and hep C treatments from Canadian patient groups. Therefore, we, the Pacific Hep C Network (PHCN), are seeking your thoughts, opinions, and experiences for our patient group input report.

More information about CADTH and patient group reports is below.

PHCN’s Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir Patient Input Surveys

There are two PHCN Input Surveys

The first survey was written for those with hep C or those who have had hep C. It includes 14 questions, some multiple choice, and is divided into 4 sections. The most important of these sections are ‘Section 2 of 4: Your Expectations of Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir’ and Take this survey. Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir Input Requested.‘Section 3 of 4: Your Experience with Sofosbuvir / Velpatasvir’, if you have been treated with sofosbuvir / velpatasvir. If you haven’t taken sofosbuvir / velpatasvir, the survey lets you skip this section.

The second survey was written for loved ones or caregivers of those living with hep C/have had hep C. It includes 7 questions divided into 2 sections.

If the surveys don’t focus on something you would like to add, please use a textbox and include it as one of your answers. Some of the questions require answers but others were written to, hopefully, help you share your experiences and voice your opinion.

Survey responses are anonymous (we don’t know your name or other information about you). The information gathered will be used as part of the sofosbuvir / velpatasvir patient group input report for CADTH.

By completing the survey you accept that PHCN can use the information gathered by it in our patient group input report for CADTH.

The survey links will only remain open until April 27th, so please complete a survey and share the survey links with others ASAP.

About Patient Group Input Reports Requested by CADTH

Within the Canadian drug approval process, Health Canada first evaluates a drug’s safety, clinical effectiveness, and its manufacturing process. The Common Drug Review (CDR) by CADTH then assesses the treatment’s clinical and cost-effectiveness as it compares to other treatments.

During Common Drug Reviews, CADTH requests patient input reports. These patient input reports help ensure that health outcomes and issues important to patients are incorporated into the Common Drug Review process in a formal and meaningful way.

They help ensure that patients and their loved ones are a part of the drug review process!

Email the Hepatitis C Treatment Information Project for more information about the surveys or for more information about sofosbuvir / velpatasvir.

Thank you for taking the time to voice your opinion and help advocate for a better tomorrow.