The document discusses challenges in accessing rare disease drugs in Canada. It notes that Canada approves only around half of orphan drugs approved in the US and EU. Several provinces have established specialized programs to review rare disease drugs on a case-by-case basis. The document advocates for a "lifecycle approach" where patients are engaged throughout the drug development and review process to improve access and appropriate use. This could include managed access programs combining early approval with ongoing data collection to expand access while managing costs and uncertainties.
2. November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
Rare Disease/
Personalized Drug
Development
Win-Lose Drug
Funding and Access
3. November 2015
Innovative Trial Designs
Pinnock, H. Pills, People, and Preferences: Evaluating Real Life Practice in Pragmatic Trials
Rare Disease Drug Access
6. Rare Diseases: Unaddressed Public Health Issue
But Canada’s federation makes
national approach a challenge!
2 in 3are Children
80% Genetic
BUT
50% No Family
History
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
7. # Canadians with Common vs. Rare Diseases
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Milions Affected
Cancer
Diabetes
Heart disease
Rare Diseases
2.4 M
1.4 M
2.8 M
1.8 M
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
8. USA Orphan Drug Act:
A Mother, a Congressman, an Actor
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
9. Challenge of NO Orphan Drug
Policy in Canada
— In 2002, US FDA approved a breakthrough drug, also
called the “miracle drug” or “silver bullet” for rare cancer,
chronic myeloid leukemia because a “complete
hematological response” was achieved in 98% of patients.
Imatinib was approved in Canada in 2007.
— In 2010, US FDA approved the first medicine that not only
manages but prevents “painful swelling” in patients with
hereditary angioedema. The drug was submitted to the EU
but the small biotech firm had no intention of coming to
Canada until a chance conversation on a plane from Poland
convinced the VP to at least consider us. It was approved
by Health Canada in 2013.
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
10. Canadian Patients Do Not Access Many
Orphan Drugs
— No definition, no orphan drug policy; few orphan drugs.
¡ Prior to 1983, only 10 new drugs approved worldwide for rare
diseases
— Many Orphan Drugs in USA and EU
¡ In USA: about 500 products in 30 years since Orphan Drug Act
¡ In EU: about 100 new orphan drugs in 13 years
¡ Benefit: estimates of up to 15 million people
— Canadian patients have NO access to half of these drugs
¡ Canada has approved 47% of orphan drugs licensed in USA
¡ Canada has approved 51% of orphan drugs approved in Europe
¡ Almost half of approved drugs denied reimbursement in Public Drug
Plans
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
11. Negotiations with Provincial Decision Maker on Managed Access/Risk Sharing
Rare Disease Drug Access
Health Canada
Issues NOC & DIN
Manufacturer submits
NOC: Notice of Compliance –!
DIN: Drug Identification Number!
PMPRB: Patented Med Pricing Review Board!
CDR: Common Drug Review!
CDEC: Canadian Drug Expert Committee!
pCODR: pan-CA Oncology Drug Review!
PERC = pCODR Expert Review Committee!
INESSS: Institut national d'excellence en
santé et en services sociaux!
PCPA = panCanadian Pricing Alliance!
Provincial Drug Committee Reviews Health Canada status, CDR/pCODR recommendation,
Province-specific assessment
Provincial process recommends to reimburse (or not) through publicly funded program
Common Drug Review products
(NCE / new combination product /
new indication)
CDEC recommendation to drug plans
Manufacturer submits
pCODR Products
(NCE / new combination product /
new indication)
pERC recommendation to
drug plans
specific to oncology drugs
Up to 2 years
Non-transparent
Up to 1 year
Transparent
panCanadian Pharmaceutical Alliance
(Pricing Negotiations)
Up to 2 mths
Transparent
~ varied; not
transparent
Open ended
PMPRB Reference-Based
Ceiling Price
Private Drug Plans
Provincial Exceptional Access Programs
Ontario Drugs for Rare Diseases
Alberta Special Access/Off-Label Drugs
BC Rare Disease Drugs Committee
New Brunswick Rare Disease Drugs Fund
INESSS for
Quebec drug plan
Final Decision by Executive Officer/DOH/Minister November 2015
13. HTA Related Challenges
Translate clinical controlled trials data into estimates
of clinical effectiveness in a real-world setting
Limited evidence:
No control arm
Small study population
No validated outcome
Disease heterogeneity
No long-term data
Uncertainty
14. HTA Related Challenges
Quantify healthcare costs, utilization and possible
savings over the lifetime of the disease or treatment
Uncertainty
Poor data on
economic burden and
current management
Rapidly growing
expenditures on OD
Poor cost-
effectiveness of OD
16. NO TAILORED METHOD FOR ODs
¥ Most countries do not have HTA and/or pricing and
reimbursement-specific orphan drug (OD) decision
framework
¥ Under usual circumstances ODs are not cost-effective
¥ Two approaches can be used to make it possible for orphan
drugs to be considered cost-effective:
¤ Set higher ICER for ODs
¤ Apply weighted ICER criteria
¥ There is a variation in terms of the criteria that are
considered by HTA agencies
¥ Evidence requirements differ between HTA agencies
HTA RELATED CHALLENGES
18. Rare Disease Drugs: Challenges for Reimbursement
¥ Incremental Value Added (effectiveness, side effects, tolerability,
improved quality of life) may not equal incremental costs
¥ Pricing criteria may not be established, and willingness to pay
may have little impact on pricing
¥ Medicines for rare and unmet needs tend to have high R&D, high
uncertainty, high cost
¥ Reimbursement strategies may be directed toward reducing
uncertainty in safety, effectiveness, appropriate use, and budget
impact.
¥ Managed access schemes include registries, CED, prior
authorization, limited use, $ capitation.
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
19. 2005: CDR Denies Fabry & MPS-1 Drugs
Fabry and MPS patients protest at
FPT Health Ministers’ Annual
Meeting; demand access to life-
saving drugs
Solution: Fabry’s Disease and MPS-1, “time-limited
research program meeting treatment guidelines” on a risk-
sharing basis.
Pilot for EXPENSIVE DRUGS FOR RARE DISORDERS?November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
20. 2014: CDR “Yes” but Not at This Price =
Delayed Access = Patient Protest
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
21. November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
“...Saskatchewa
n decision sets
a precedent in
Canada
because of the
External Panel
Review that
reversed the
province’s
decision.”
22. Specialized Programs for Rare Disease Drugs
— 2010: Ontario Drugs for Rare Diseases Program evaluation framework
using Markov Model to set access criteria and outcome benchmarks
— 2010-11: BC Rare Disease Committee review case-by-case applications
based on evidence and physician submission
— 2011: Alberta Special Authorization Process for some rare disease
drugs; Start-Stop criteria based on submitted evidence; additional $3
million fund for “off-label” or not Special Authorization drugs
— 2011-2015: Interprovincial joint action from panCanadian Purchasing
Alliance to panCanadian Pricing Alliance to pC Pharmaceutical Alliance
— Quebec: Individual approval through “mesure du patient d’exception”;
now joining pCPA
— 2012: Private drug plans (CLHIA) implements “pooled” insurance fund
(full coverage plans only) for all drugs > $25k/year
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
23. Idealized Life-Cycle Approach to Drug Development,
Access and Continuous Review
Researcher/Clinician:
Disease Knowledge;
Drug Discovery;
Treatment Guidelines
Company: Clinical Trials
& Outcome Measures;
biomedical, clinical,
PROs, Real-World
Impact
Regulator:
Approval on
Benefits-Risks-
Uncertainties; Use
& Real-World
Monitoring
HTA: Comparison
Benefits, Risks, Cost
w/Alternatives; Place
in Therapy
Payer: Budget
Impact; Access
Criteria; R-W
Data Collection
Patient Input
Industry Data
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
24. November 2015
Engaging Patients throughout Life-Cycle
Improves Access and Appropriate Use
Pre-‐approval:
Unmet
need,
care
pathways,
resource
impact
(for
HTA)
During CTs:
Advance/
Special,
Crossover,
Post-trial
access
HTA:
Experience,
values, A/E
tolerance,
start/stop
criteria
RW Use:
Monitor
outcomes;
adherence,
feedback;
adjust therapy
Patient partners
to improve
access criteria
and support
optimal use
Rare Disease Drug Access
25. Lifecycle Approach Sets Up
Managed Access Programs
— Propose “coverage with evidence development” for
orphan drugs
¡ Early approval based on life-threatening or severely debilitating
condition with no other effective treatments
¡ Regulatory approval for ODs require on-going data collection and
resubmission of outcomes data (5 years)
¡ Patient registries to collect post-market safety and effectiveness
¡ On-going studies with expanded patient population
— Challenge of “no funding” to expanded data
collection
¡ Limits access to patients beyond clinical trials
¡ Limits “real world” data collection
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
26. performance
based
schemes,
managed
entry
agreements
outcome
based
condi5onal
coverage
performance
linked
reimbursement
/
outcomes
guarantee
financial
based
pa5ent
level
popula5on
level
condi5onal
treatment
start
or
con5nua5on
coverage
with
evidence
development
only
in
research
only
with
research
market
share
price
volume
u5liza5on
or
price
cap
manufacturer
funded
treatment
ini5a5on
Ref:
Sullivan
S,
ISPOR
Paris,
2009
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
28. Thank You!
November 2015Rare Disease Drug Access
Durhane Wong-Rieger, PhD
President
Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders
www.raredisorders.ca
416-969-7435
durhane@sympatico.ca