- The Government of the province of Saskatchewan has informed treating physicians
that it will grant access to SPINRAZA™ to patients living with
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
- Saskatchewan is the second
province after the province of Quebec to grant broad access for SMA patients
to this life-changing medicine
MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 22, 2019 /CNW/ - Biogen Canada welcomes the
decision made by the Government of Saskatchewan allowing patients living with
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to access SPINRAZA™(nusinersen), the
first and only approved medicine in the world to treat the root
cause of SMA.
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Health has made the decision to
expand coverage and make SPINRAZA™ available to include the
following, in addition to existing Type I patients:
- Patients who are pre-symptomatic with two or three copies of
the SMN2 gene;
- Patients up to age 18, with symptom onset after six months of
age and who have never achieved the ability to walk
independently;
- Patients that may have achieved the ability to walk
independently (type III) as well as type II and type III patients
over the age of 18 are encouraged to talk to their treating
physician to apply for a case by case coverage.
"We are delighted to learn that Canadian patients living with
SMA in the province of Saskatchewan will gain access to the only
medicine that can treat SMA. This decision which patients have been
waiting for over two years provides access to SPINRAZA™ to SMA
patients for a broad range of patient types and ages. This news
will bring new hope for SMA patients and we look forward to hearing
from the other Canadian provinces", declared Ms. Susi Vander Wyk, Executive Director, Cure SMA
Canada.
Through Biogen's extensive clinical development program,
SPINRAZA™ has shown significant improvements in survival rates
and motor function across a broad range of types and ages of SMA
patients. Health Canada approved
SPINRAZA™ in June 2017. Biogen continues to advance
innovation in SMA with new data in adults and infants, which will
be presented at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Clinical
and Scientific Conference, taking place last week in the
USA.
"Biogen Canada is pleased to
hear that Saskatchewan has joined
the province of Quebec in granting
broad access to SPINRAZA™ to patients living with SMA. This
decision is additional proof that authorities in Canada and around the world see the benefits
and efficacy profile of SPINRAZA™ for SMA patients, and it
demonstrates the importance of finding an ongoing and sustainable
solution for this life-long treatment. Biogen Canada continues to pursue its discussions
with all other provincial jurisdictions in Canada in order for them to join Quebec and Saskatchewan in granting broad access to SMA
patients to the first and only medicine in the world to treat
SMA", said Ms. Marina Vasiliou,
Vice-president and Managing Director of Biogen
Canada.
About Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
SMA is a debilitating neurodegenerative condition and the leading
genetic cause of death among infants. Children with the most severe
form of SMA rarely live to see their second birthday. SMA is a
rare disease and it is estimated that 1 in 10000 live births are
affected by it.
SMA is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord
and lower brain stem, resulting in severe and progressive muscular
atrophy and weakness. Ultimately, individuals with the most severe
type of SMA can become paralyzed and have difficulty performing the
basic functions of life, like breathing and swallowing.
About SPINRAZA™ (nusinersen)
SPINRAZA™ is the first and only approved medicine for the treatment
of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and is currently available in more
than 40 countries. As of December 31,
2018, over 6,600 individuals with SMA are being treated with
SPINRAZA™ worldwide, based on patients across the post-marketing
setting, Expanded Access Program (EAP) and clinical trial
participants.
About Biogen
At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience.
Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative
therapies for people living with serious neurological and
neurodegenerative diseases. One of the world's first global
biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz
Schaller, Kenneth Murray and
Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert
and Phillip Sharp, and today has the
leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis; has
introduced the first and only approved treatment for spinal
muscular atrophy; and is focused on advancing neuroscience research
programs in Alzheimer's disease and dementia, multiple sclerosis
and neuroimmunology, movement disorders, neuromuscular disorders,
pain, ophthalmology, neuropsychiatry, and acute neurology. Biogen
also manufactures and commercializes biosimilars of advanced
biologics.
We routinely post information that may be important to investors
on our website at www.biogen.ca. To learn more, please visit
www.biogen.ca and follow us on social media – Twitter, LinkedIn,
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SOURCE Biogen Canada