PMPRB NEWSletter: October 2024, Volume 28, Issue 2

e-bulletin

Contents

The PMPRB NEWSletter provides stakeholders with news and information about the activities of the Board and its staff. To be notified of new announcements, publications, and other initiatives, please follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Board Updates

Departing Board Member

Carolyn Kobernick completed her second and final mandate at the PMPRB in June 2024. Ms. Kobernick brought a wealth of legal and governance knowledge from her previous employment in the Government of Canada as an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Department of Justice. Her insights and advice will be missed. The Board thanks Ms. Kobernick for her invaluable contribution to the PMPRB.

Events

This table contains a list of recent meetings between Board members and stakeholders for the purposes of transparency.

Date Stakeholder Event/Organization PMPRB Board Member PMPRB Staff Member Individual/ Representative Purpose Duration Mode (Virtual/ or in person)
March 4 and 5, 2024 The Centre for Health Services and Policy Research 2024 Conference “PharmaWhere?” Chairperson N/A Various industry stakeholders, academics and representatives from governments and patient advocacy groups Conference 1.5 days In person, at University of British Columbia
May 27, 2024 Meeting with patient advocacy groups Chairperson Director General and Board Secretariat Director Representatives from various patient groups (Best Medicines Coalition, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Breast Cancer Network, Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders, Canadian PKU and Allied Disorders Inc., GI Society / Canadian Society of Intestinal Research, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Health Charities Coalition of Canada, Health Coalition of Alberta, Myeloma Canada, Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada and Save Your Skin Foundation Engagement with Stakeholders 2 hours Virtual
August 15, 2024 Health Canada Chairperson Director General The Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health Administrative updates 30 minutes Virtual

Arrival of Stéphanie Plouffe, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs and Outreach

The PMPRB is pleased to announce the arrival of Stéphanie Plouffe to the PMPRB as the new Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs and Outreach.

Stéphanie brings a wealth of experience in regulatory affairs and policy files within the Government of Canada.

Tanya Potashnik Retiring from the PMPRB

Tanya Potashnik, Senior Director at the PMPRB, has announced her retirement after more than a decade of dedicated service. Throughout her tenure, Tanya was instrumental in leading the PMPRB's Policy and Economic Analysis team.

The PMPRB wishes to extend its deepest thanks to Ms. Potashnik for her years of commitment, expertise, and service to the public sector.

As she embarks on this new chapter, we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Guillaume Couillard
Director General

Guidelines Consultation

Discussion Guide

On June 26, 2024, the Board released  Shaping the Future: A Discussion Guide for PMPRB Phase 2 Consultations on New Guidelines as part of its on-going development of new Guidelines. The Guide offered stakeholders insight into the Board’s perspective on issues to consider addressing in the upcoming Guidelines. The Discussion Guide provided a proposed framework that indicated a direction on certain issues and provided a range of options on others.

In addition to a discussion of the consultation process and past feedback from stakeholders, the Discussion Guide focused primarily on three sections:

The deadline to submit written submissions was September 11, 2024. The feedback received on the Discussion Guide will be made available on the PMPRB website soon.

Webinar

On August 13, the PMPRB hosted a webinar presented by Director General Guillaume Couillard, designed to clarify the issues raised in questions received from stakeholders and to expand on themes explored in the Discussion Guide. The presentation is available for review on the PMPRB website.

Next steps

The Board is currently reviewing the feedback submitted about the Discussion Guide. Once this information has been properly reviewed and considered, the Board plans to publish draft Guidelines by the end of 2024, for consultation.

Follow the PMPRB on LinkedIn

The PMPRB is now on LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, the PMPRB will be able to quickly share information and content with an expanded set of features and engage with Canadians and stakeholders in a meaningful way.

Follow the PMPRB on LinkedIn for important news, updates about the Board’s activities, and much more!

Did you know? 

 Between July 2022 and July 2024, rights holders reported 182 new drugs products with a Drug Identification Number (DIN) in Canada. Of those 182 DINs, 21.4% reported sales in Canada alone and no sales in any of the PMPRB11 countries. 

NPDUIS Research Initiative Activities

The PMPRB continues to engage with and support Canadians through the NPDUIS research initiative. In addition to publishing a number of analytical studies, as detailed below, the PMPRB has hosted information sessions to share the results of its recent reporting.

NPDUIS Advisory Committee Meeting

The NPDUIS Advisory Committee reconvened virtually in March 2024 and July 2024 for quarterly meetings led by PMPRB and Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) representatives. The NPDUIS Advisory Committee advises and supports the PMPRB in establishing research priorities, in the development of research methodologies, and the interpretation of analytical results. It is composed of public drug plan representatives, including Quebec and participants from Health Canada, CIHI, the Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA)and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) Office.

Conference Participation

In the spring and summer of 2024, the PMPRB presented the findings of analytical studies at the ISPOR 2024 conference in Atlanta (May 5-8, 2024), the Canadian Association for Health Services and Policy Research (CAHSPR) 2024 conference in Ottawa (May 14-16, 2024), and the CDA’s Symposium 2024 in Ottawa (September 4-6, 2024).

Posters and presentations developed as part of the NPDUIS research initiative are available on the PMPRB website under NPDUIS Analytical Studies: Posters & Presentations.

Academic Article

Research by PMPRB staff was published in the March 13, 2024 issue of BMJ Open. The article, titled “Cost-effectiveness of the top 100 drugs by public spending in Canada, 2015–2021: a repeated cross-sectional study” is available to read through the BMJ Open website.

NPDUIS Research Initiative: New and Upcoming Publications

New Releases

Reports

Meds Entry Watch, 8th Edition

The Meds Entry Watch report series explores the market entry of new medicines in Canada and within an international context. Building on a retrospective analysis of trends since 2017, the eighth edition focuses on medicines that received first-time market approval through the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and/or Health Canada in 2021 and 2022 and analyzes their uptake, pricing, sales, and availability as of the last quarter of 2022. In addition to the international analysis, a Canadian-focused section provides information on medicines that received their first Health Canada approval in 2021, as well as a retrospective review of sales from 2018 to 2022.

Coming Soon

Reports

Meds Pipeline Monitor 2023

The Meds Pipeline Monitor (MPM) is a horizon-scanning report series that features a selection of new medicines in the late stages of clinical evaluation that may have a significant impact on future clinical practice and drug spending in Canada. The 2023 edition will identify a broad range of late-stage medicines in the pipeline in 2023 and review those featured in the 2022 MPM to report on changes to their status in the pipeline. A section focused on Canada will highlight potentially significant medicines currently under review by Health Canada.

Private Drug Plans in Canada: Cost Drivers

The Private Drug Plans in Canada report series analyzes trends in Canadian private drug plans, the second largest market for prescribed drugs in Canada, accounting for more than one third of all prescribed drug spending. It provides policy makers and researchers with information on relevant trends, sources of cost pressures, and cost-saving opportunities. By focusing on the major factors driving drug costs, this report will aid stakeholders in anticipating and responding to the evolving cost pressures that affect Canada’s private drug plans.

Meds Entry Watch, 9th Edition

The Meds Entry Watch report series explores the market entry of new medicines in Canada and within an international context. Building on a retrospective analysis of trends since 2018, the ninth edition will focus on medicines that received first-time market approval through the FDA, the EMA, and/or Health Canada in 2022 and 2023 and analyze their uptake, pricing, sales, and availability as of the last quarter of 2023. In addition to the international analysis, a Canadian-focused section will provide information on medicines that received their first Health Canada approval in 2022, as well as a retrospective review of sales from 2019 to 2023.

CompassRx, 10th Edition: Annual Public Drug Plan Expenditure Report, 2022/23

The PMPRB’s flagship CompassRx report monitors and analyzes the cost pressures driving changes in prescription drug expenditures in Canadian public drug plans. The tenth edition of the report will provide insight into the factors driving growth in drug and dispensing costs in 2022/23, as well as a retrospective review of recent trends in public drug plan costs and utilization.

Market Intelligence Report: Cardiovascular Drugs

The Market Intelligence Report series provides short, targeted analyses of therapeutic market segments of importance to Canadians. These studies are designed to inform policy discussions, aid in evidence-based decision making, and provide Canadians with a more comprehensive view of issues pertaining to pharmaceutical drug pricing and utilization. This report will explore the market dynamics affecting spending on cardiovascular drugs, the current treatment landscape, and the international R&D pipeline.

Board Meetings

Various virtual Board meetings (March 22, 2024, March 27, 2024, April 15, 2024, April 29, 2024, and May 9, 2024)

The Board met virtually on various occasions to determine the topics to be included in the Discussion Guide created for the second phase of their Guidelines consultation. The Board received presentations from Staff on various topics. They made decisions on which items they were ready to provide direction and on which to provide options.

May 22, 2024 – Calgary

The Board met in Calgary, Alberta on May 22, 2024. It was the first time that all Board members had the opportunity to meet in person.

During the meeting, the PMPRB Staff provided briefings to the Board members on various areas of interest on the organizational front such as updates on activities and the report issued by the Standing Committee on Health (HESA) entitled: The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board: Ensuring the Effectiveness of the Reform Process.

The Board also made the final decisions required for the release of the Discussion Guide which is the pillar of phase two of the Guidelines consultations. The Board also reviewed the NEWSletter that was prepared to announce phase two of the consultations.

June 7, 2024, Videoconference

The Board met virtually on June 7, 2024. It was Ms. Carolyn Kobernick’s last meeting as a Board member.

The Board reviewed the Discussion Guide in detail to ensure that it accurately reflected all the decisions they had made in the previous months.

The Board members also received a briefing on the progress made in drafting the PMPRB 2023 Annual Report.

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