VICTRELIS™ Approved in Canada:

VICTRELIS™ Approved in Canada:

Telaprevir, still under 'priority review' at Health Canada.

VANCOUVER — A new drug, recently approved by Health Canada, brings a cure closer for the 250,000 hepatitis C sufferers across Canada.

http://hcvadvocate.blogspot.com/2011/08/victrelis-boceprevir-approved-in-canada.html
http://www.natap.org/2011/newsUpdates/080311_04.htm
http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Health+Canada+clears+promising+hepatitis+drug/5198059/story.html

[Trish77]

Andy, this is FANTASTIC NEWS!!!!!!!  Thanks for posting this!  I'll be sure to pass it on amongst others who will want to know this!!!!

"VICTRELIS™ is now available and the list price is $1,050.00 per week. "

Wow....hefty price tag.  That has to be some good sh!t.  

Thanks for posting this, Andy!  Are you considering it??  Hope you're doing well!

Trish

[andy_k]

hi Trish,

i'm ok, just working hard and getting ready to start tx...:) how are you doing?

i was thinking to start with inter+riba and kinda started the application process with insurance... just didn't expect it to be approved so soon.

probably will wait for a couple of weeks and will contact the insurance company and a nurse to see how long it may take to get it approved by insurance...and what they think about that...

[willbb]

Hi Andy...interestingly enough I just got back from the liver clinic were I am still involved(monitoring from the study) and when I walked in they sprang this news on me..lol. I had heard nothing about it at all.  I was just about to post it..and read your post.!!

Very good news indeed...for Canadians and I was told also Inci will follow very shortly. Hope this opens up some choices for you Andy..and thanks for posting.

Great news for the tens of thousands of Canadians that are waiting to treat!!

Will

[EyesofBlue55]

   Time to treat my good buddy!!!!!!!!!Congrats to the Canadians!!!!!!!!!  cindy

[Trish77]

I'll be interested to know how it goes with you, Andy.  There will be others coming along right behind you in Canada also.  This opens up some exciting treatment doors here.  Wish you good luck with all this.  

Things are great with me, thanks. :)

Trish

[Proactive]

""VICTRELIS™ is now available and the list price is $1,050.00 per week. " "

So this is the price that the Canadian gov. negotiated?
How does this compare with US prices for the drug?

[Trish77]

That's a good question.  I have no idea what it's costing in the U.S.  willing should know.....and others.  If we can get them into a thread about Canada. :)

[Trish77]

According to our U.S. counterparts, U.S. prices are $1100 wholesale/week plus there was a $100 coupon: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/business/14drug.html?amp as per thread at:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Clock-is-ticking--Boceprevir/show/1568968#post_7123566

So not too much of a price differential between Canada and the U.S.

[Proactive]

Interesting and thanks for the info. I wonder what the difference is in "wholesale" vs retail pricing. I was under the impression that the insurance co's did their own negotiating on prices from the drug manufacturers(bottom line-what will the drug co's except for payment for their product).
Hard to compare on an apple to apple basis. Here in the US, someone walking in off the street paying cash to fill a script will always pay more(by a huge amount sometimes) than what the insurance co will pay for the identical drug.
  So in this case, where is the benefit in having the Canadian gov. negotiate the price? I'd have figured a huge discount for economy of scale.

thanks again, pro

[andy_k]

thanks a lot Trish!

will see how it goes, and how long will it take for insurance companies to make it approved meds.

[andy_k]

hi Will,
i was really surprised to see it,
didn't expected it to be aproved before the end of september, plus about 6 month to get it through insurance system and provincial health care.
so my best bet was beginning of 2012.

[willbb]

Andy & Cindy

Hi Andy....Yes .I thought another few months also ...so all good on that front for folks who want to get started...I hope it gives you more options Andy.

Thanks Cindy..I still have a ways to go for my turn again...  hope all is well with you  :)

Will

[andy_k]

the article about approval process duration in canada:

http://hepatitiscnewdrugs.blogspot.com/2011/08/canada-victrelisnew-hep-c-drug-priced.html

[Trish77]

Thanks Andy.  That's sobering. Incivek was also approved recently - probably same thing only different. I imagine it will be similar in Ontario and other provinces.  I wonder how the patient assistance programs apply to Canadians in the meantime.  BC has some excellent advocacy compared to the rest of Canada.  Perhaps a little noise is in order to make this happen a little faster.

Thanks for that post.

Trish

[willbb]

Thx. Andy...looks like  our variuos govt. bodies are acting like they usually do.....slow.

Will

[tywhy]

Hello read youre comment on Victrelis,havent heard of this in New Zealand?I am just waiting for results for which genotype i have, i have had this a long time i think going on what my symptoms have been mainly very fatigued,not feeling well,night sweats,i no some people who have been through interferon/rib and are clear now
tywhy

[andy_k]

just called my insurance, apparently Victrelis is already on their list and added to coverage. i have IA at work.
i've provided the din # which got from the canada health website (thanks Trish!)

have to contact my doctor and find out if he has started prescribing it.

not sure how all that approval process works with such expensive  drugs...

[tywhy]

Hello interested to hear about Victrelis being approved in Canada and USA,am in NZ and back to the hospital in 3 weeks will ask about Victrelis but could be years before approved down here.
tywhy.