The charity is asking BC’s political parties to extend drug coverage for drugs used to treat rare conditions

A Canadian gastroenterology charity is calling on British Columbia’s major political parties to extend public coverage for expensive drugs to treat rare bowel diseases – which are already covered in areas some of the country.

The Gastrointestinal Society is pressing which party will form the government after the Oct. 19 to support the community with teduglutide, sold under the name Revestive, to treat short bowel syndrome, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients due to damage or absence of the small intestine. It is the only drug approved to treat SBS, and the charity notes that the drug is publicly covered in every province except BC and Prince Edward Island.

The charity says it’s part of a bigger problem with the BC government refusing to cover drugs more often than other provinces. Revestive is one of 31 drugs that BC has refused to supply between 2018 and 2023, the charity says, compared to Ontario, which has refused to supply just two of those drugs, and Alberta, which refused to cover three (BC began to cover two of the existing ones. 2024). The list also includes the treatment of schizophrenia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

“All I’m asking is that BC PharmaCare treat BC patients the same way they treat patients in every other part of Canada,” said Gail Attara, CEO and president. of the Gastrointestinal Society. in conversation.

SBS is rare: Ms. Attara says there are believed to be only 32 children with the condition in BC. let him be corrected. The lack of coverage has caused some patients to consider leaving BC, he said.

The Ministry of Health declined to comment during the ongoing provincial election campaign, in which government departments are restricting communications on important public health and safety issues. Spokeswoman Amanda Lewis said in a statement that there is a “rigorous review process” that must be completed before a drug is covered under BC PharmaCare.

Adrian Dix, NDP candidate who is also Minister of Health, said the provision of drugs in the province is achieved through an independent process: “We intend to regularly review BC’s pharmacovigilance program, so we can continue first to improve health services for people in BC,” he said.

The other leading party, the BC Conservatives, did not respond to a request for comment.

Individual states decide whether to pay for drugs under their own drug programs. The Canadian Association of Drugs and Health Technologies provides recommendations through a process called Standardized Drug Screening.

CADTH recommended in 2015 that Revestive be covered for adults and in 2020 recommended that it be covered for children between the ages of 1 and 17 – in both cases the recommendation came with conditions, including and significant price reductions. A 2020 report shows that a year of drugs can cost more than $300,000. Both Alberta and Ontario list it as covered by their public drug plans at premium.

BC’s review of Revestive concluded that it was not cost-effective based on the results of clinical studies.

Amanda Jacobs, a spokeswoman for Takeda Canada Inc., maker of Revestive, said the price listed in the Common Drug Review report does not reflect the financial terms negotiated privately by the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), which a collective group. of provinces and territories interested in providing drug reimbursement. He added that it is optional for the province to participate in this consultation process.

He said the company hopes that any patients who could benefit from this new drug can get it and be reimbursed regardless of where they live in Canada.

Christine Langley of Nanaimo, BC, has a three-year-old grandson who was born with only 10 per cent of his small intestine intact, resulting in SBS, which can lead to energy loss, lack of poor nutrition and slow growth.

After nearly six months in the hospital and two surgeries, the girl began receiving IV nutrition. But by the time he was two, he was struggling to get over 19kg, said Ms Langley, who is also his carer.

In addition, the child was slow to walk, sit and roll over – milestones that are normally achieved at three, six or nine months, Ms. Langley said in an interview.

He knew that Revestive operates in many states of the country but not in B.C. He lost his job, which meant he had no access to the drug through his employer’s insurance.

As a result, Miss Langley was ready to move to Ontario for treatment until their gastroenterologist connected them to the manufacturer’s compassionate use program.

He said: “It was amazing. Within a year, the girl’s weight has now reached 30 kilograms, and “her growth has been amazing; she is acting like a child. normal now.”

Ms. Langley said it is important that BC PharmaCare provides this treatment: “Why do these children who are born with this condition have to be at a disadvantage because they can’t get proper nutrition, because their bodies can’t do it?”