Testimonies to the Standing Committee on Health of the House of Commons of Canada
On June 4, 2021, Anie Perrault, Executive Director of BIOQuébec and Paul Lévesque, President and CEO of Theratechnologies, testified in the Committee on Health of the House of Commons on the proposed amendments to the PMPRB.
Read the notes from Anie Perrault's opening remarks here (in French).
Do you know the real facts about the pharmaceutical industry? Innovative Medicines Canada summarizes them for us here
When your time comes, your treatment may not – take action on federal price controls
The federal government has adopted new measures that change the way the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) assesses the prices of patented medicines and vaccines in Canada.
The lack of clarity in how the new rules will be implemented along with the steep new price reductions for new medicines and vaccines have already had major negative impacts on Canadians and Quebecers, including:
· Reduced access to new life-changing medicines and vaccines: Since the price controls were adopted, there has been a dramatic decline of 40% in the number of new globally available treatments sold in Canada in 2019 compared to the previous year. Most of the new medicines out of our reach are used to treat cancer and other deadly diseases.
· Diminished access to clinical trials: Clinical trials are how some of Canada and Quebec’s sickest patients gain access to the newest life-saving treatments that aren’t yet available.
Following the adoption of the new price controls in 2019, the number of advanced clinical trials decreased by 26% in the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period in the last five years in Canada.
· Fewer life sciences jobs across Quebec: The new rules shrink Quebec’s life sciences sector, which has been at the forefront of Quebec and Canada’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Thousands of Canadian jobs – in research, drug and vaccine development, and health delivery – are at stake because of the new rules.
Every Quebecer and Canadian will need at some time a medicine or vaccine that can save their life or help them live better. We have learned this more than ever through the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowing that a medicine or vaccine is available but impossible to access is something no Canadian patient deserves to go through.
If you share our concerns about the PMPRB changes, please use the following email form letter and social media post to contact the federal government.
Learn more about PMPRB:
To learn more about the PMPRB changes and their impact on Quebecers and Canadians, we encourage you to consult BioQuébec’s previous engagements and research on this issue, including:
Joint submission by BioQuébec and Life Sciences Ontario to the PMPRB Guidelines consultations (February 2021)
Joint submission by BIOQuébec, Montréal InVivo and Québec International to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Health (November 2020)
Joint submission by BIOQuébec, Montréal InVivo and Québec International to the PMPRB Guidelines consultations (August 2020)
Survey of pharmaceutical leaders showing that many companies have already delayed bringing new therapies to Canada and reduced employment in the country because of the PMPRB changes (January 2021)
Ipsos Canada public opinion poll showing most Canadians want access to the newest medicines, even if Canada has to pay a higher price than some countries (January 2021)
Infographic summarizing public opinion and pharmaceutical leader perspectives on access to medicines, price regulation and health innovation (January 2021)
IQVIA medicine launch data showing that Canadians’ access to new medicines has deteriorated rapidly since the PMPRB changes were adopted (view the related video presentation in English) (June 2020)
