A Canadian charity focused on gastrointestinal and liver diseases is calling on British Columbia’s main campaigning parties to expand public coverage of expensive drugs to treat rare intestinal diseases. . This treatment is already covered in other parts of the country.
The Gastroenterology Society has announced that regardless of which political party forms the government after the Oct. 19 election, it will use the brand name Revestib as a treatment for short bowel syndrome, where nutrient absorption is impaired due to damage or defects in parts of the small intestine. They are calling for public funding to be provided for teduglutide, which is being marketed. This is the only drug approved to treat SBS, and the charity points out that the drug is publicly covered in all provinces except British Columbia and Prince Edward Island.
The charity argues this is part of a larger problem, with the B.C. government denying drug coverage more frequently than other provinces. The charity said revestiv was among the 31 prescription drugs that B.C. denied coverage from 2018 to 2023, with Ontario denying coverage for only two and Alberta The province rejected three types of coverage (B.C. began offering two of them in 2024). This list also includes treatments for schizophrenia and myelodysplastic syndromes.
“All I want is for BC Pharmacare to treat BC patients on the same level as patients in other parts of Canada,” said Gail, CEO and president of the Gastrointestinal Association.・Mr. Atala stated. In an interview.
SBS is rare: Atala said it is believed that only 32 children in British Columbia have the condition. He said recommended medicines are important because some diseases can become irreversibly severe if not treated early. She said some patients are considering moving out of British Columbia because of lack of insurance coverage.
The Department of Health declined to comment while the state election campaign continues, during which government departments limit communications to essential health and public safety information. Spokeswoman Amanda Lewis said in a statement that there is a “rigorous review process” that must be completed before a drug can be included in BC Pharmacare.
NDP candidate and Minister of Health Adrian Dix said drug coverage in the province is achieved through an independent process, adding, “We are committed to regularly reviewing B.C.’s drug program. “In doing so, we can continue to improve health services for the people of British Columbia.” “B.C.,” he said.
The other main party, the B.C. Conservative Party, did not respond to requests for comment.
Each state decides whether to cover medications under its prescription drug program. The Canada Health and Care Technology Agency makes recommendations through a process called Common Drug Review.
In 2015, CADTH recommended that Revestive be applied to adults, and in 2020 it was recommended that it be applied to children between the ages of 1 and 17. In both cases, the recommendations came with certain conditions, including a significant reduction in prices. A 2020 report notes that one year of use of the drug can cost more than $300,000. Both Alberta and Ontario list it as covered by their public drug plans at the original price.
BC’s own review of Revestive concluded that it was not cost-effective given the results of clinical studies.
Amanda Jacobs, a spokeswoman for Takeda Canada Ltd., the manufacturer of Revestib, said the prices listed in the Common Drug Review report were negotiated in secret by the Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), a collective group. He said it did not reflect financial terms. Representatives of states and territories interested in drug reimbursement. He added that states’ participation in this negotiation process is voluntary.
He said the company wants patients who could benefit from this innovative medicine to have access and reimbursement regardless of where they live in Canada.
Christine Langley of Nanaimo, British Columbia, has a 3-year-old granddaughter who was born with only 10 per cent of her small intestine, which can lead to dehydration, malnutrition and growth retardation. I had SBS.
After about six months in the hospital and two surgeries, the girl began receiving intravenous nutrition. But by the time she was 2 years old, she was struggling to weigh more than 19 pounds, said Langley, who is also her caretaker.
Additionally, Langley said in an interview that children may also have delays in walking, sitting and rolling over, and that these milestones are typically achieved at 3, 6 and 9 months.
She knew that revestives apply in most provinces in the country, but not in British Columbia. She has since lost her job and is no longer able to obtain the drug through her employer’s insurance.
As a result, Langley was ready to move to Ontario for treatment until her gastroenterologist connected her to the manufacturer’s compassionate use program.
“It was a godsend,” she said. Within a year, the girl now weighs close to 30 pounds, and “her development has been amazing. She now acts like a normal child.”
Ms Langley said it was important that BC Pharmacare cover this treatment. “Why should children born with this disease be at a disadvantage because they don’t get what they need nutritionally, because their bodies are physically incapable of doing so?” ”
