Help Us Advocate for You on New Treatment Options
September 26, 2019
How does Ovarian Cancer Canada work on your behalf when it comes to new treatment options?
Making sure your voice and experience are communicated to those who play a decision-making role in approving new drugs is of paramount importance to our organization. Ovarian Cancer Canada plays a key role in the drug approval process through preparing a formal patient submission to the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (or pCODR and institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux or INESSS in Quebec) to ensure that those making decisions about whether a drug receives public funding can appreciate the impact (both good and bad) that the drug under review may have on those taking it, as well as on those caring for patients living with the disease. This report is based on survey information gathered from women across the country with ovarian cancer and, in particular, from women who have taken the specific drug under review as well as their caregivers.
Ovarian Cancer Canada has prepared many patient submissions for Lynparza since 2016 and will submit one for Zejula at the appropriate time.
Once a drug has been approved and a price has been negotiated, Ovarian Cancer Canada staff and volunteers communicate the urgent need for more ovarian cancer treatments to elected officials and key provincial decision makers during meetings, through letters, and at events to ensure the new drug is added to provincial formularies as quickly as possible.
Ovarian Cancer Canada also works in partnership with other health charities to improve Canada’s drug approval process to ensure it becomes more efficient and transparent.
Please watch for the call for women to complete the patient submission survey about Zejula (niraparib) when Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK) applies for funding approval. This is particularly important if you have taken Zejula. You can add your experience and opinions of the drug to the voices of other women and provide meaningful and important input into this drug review process.
For further information contact:
Marilyn Sapsford
Manager, National Programs
1-877-413-7970 x231
msapsford@ovariancanada.org