- Following the signing of an agreement between AbbVie and the
pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA)i,
Quebec is the first province to
reimburse the combination treatment.
- VENCLEXTA® + rituximab is a regimen that includes a targeted
oral agent that should be continued for two years after initial
five weeks ramp-up phase.
MONTREAL, Dec. 18, 2019 /CNW/ - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a
global research and development-based biopharmaceutical
company, today announced that an agreement has been reached with
the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) for VENCLEXTA® in
combination with rituximab, a treatment for patients with Chronic
Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) who have received at least one prior
therapy.
"VENCLEXTA in combination with rituximab is an effective
treatment option. VENCLEXTA plus rituximab also have the benefit of
a finite treatment approach, meaning patients can stop their
therapy after two years of treatment and continue to
benefit," said Dr. Sarit
Assouline MD, MSc, FRCPC, Senior Investigator, Lady Davis
Institute, Associate Professor, Department of Oncology,
McGill University. "It's great news
that patients in Quebec will now
have access to this treatment."
On the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec's Liste des
médicaments, VENCLEXTA is listed in combination with rituximab, for
the treatment of relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic
leukemia in patients who have received at least one prior
therapy.ii For full criteria, consult the list of
medications in effect.
"The pCPA agreement for VENCLEXTA plus rituximab is positive
news for Canadians living with CLL," says Elizabeth Lye, Director of Research &
Programs, Lymphoma Canada. "Receiving a diagnosis of CLL or any
cancer is always shocking and overwhelming, therefore knowing that
there are effective treatments available provides reassurance to
people facing this uncertain journey."
CLL, which is typically a slow-progressing cancer of the bone
marrow and bloodiii, is one of the most common types of
leukemia in adults. In Canada, CLL
accounts for approximately 1,745 newly diagnosed cases of leukemia
each year and is responsible for more than 600 deaths a
year.iv
"We are thrilled with the positive outcome of our discussions
with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance and that Quebec is the first province to list VENCLEXTA
in combination with rituximab. We are looking forward to making
this treatment available to all Canadians across the country," says
Stéphane Lassignardie, Vice-President and General Manager, Abbvie
Canada. "With a strong commitment to developing innovative
therapies for patients and contributing to longer-term healthcare
sustainability, AbbVie is committed to providing solutions that
bring significant clinical and economic value to patients,
healthcare practitioners and our healthcare system."
VENCLEXTA continues to be investigated in CLL and other
hematological diseases. VENCLEXTA is being developed by AbbVie and
Roche. It is jointly commercialized by AbbVie and Genentech, a
member of the Roche Group, in the U.S. and by AbbVie outside of the
U.S.
About the MURANO Study
A total of 389 patients with
relapse / refractory (R/R) CLL who had received at least one prior
therapy were enrolled in the international, multicenter,
open-label, randomized (1:1) MURANO study (NCT02005471). The study
was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VENCLEXTA in
combination with rituximab (194 patients) compared with
bendamustine in combination with rituximab (195 patients). The
median age of patients in the trial was 65 years (range
22-85).v The MURANO study is unique in its design
with the intention for patients to stop therapy after 24
months.
About AbbVie Care
Canadians prescribed VENCLEXTA can
be enrolled in AbbVie Care, AbbVie's signature care program. The
program is designed to provide a wide range of customized services
including reimbursement and financial support, pharmacy services,
lab work reminders and coordination, personalized education and
ongoing disease management support throughout the treatment. For
more information, please visit www.abbviecare.ca.
About AbbVie
AbbVie is a global, research and
development-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to
developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's
most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to
use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to
innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary
therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience.
In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day
to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more
information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.ca and
www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvieCanada and @abbvie on Twitter or
view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.
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i
Pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance: Completed Negotiations. As of
October 31, 2019.
https://www.canadaspremiers.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/PCPA_completed_negotiations_2019-10.pdf.
Accessed December 2019.
|
ii Régie de l'assurance maladie du
Québec. Liste des
médicaments. http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/publications/citoyens/publications-legales/Pages/liste-medicaments.aspx.
Accessed December 2019.
|
iii Lymphoma Canada. Chronic
lymphocytic leukemia.
www.lymphoma.ca/lymphoma/lymphoma-101/types-lymphoma/cll. Accessed
December 2019.
|
iv Canadian Cancer Statistics.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia statistics.
www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/leukemia-chronic-lymphocytic-cll/statistics/?region=on.
Accessed December 2019.
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v
VENCLEXTA product monograph, AbbVie Corporation. Date of
Preparation: September 27, 2016. Date of Revision: December 2,
2019.
www.abbvie.ca/content/dam/abbviecorp/ca/en/docs/VENCLEXTA_PM_EN.pdf.
Accessed December 2019.
|
SOURCE AbbVie Canada