CDR Update - Issue 33
February 22, 2007
In This Issue
New Guidance for Oncology Submissions
In a move to build more consistent cancer care across the country, a provincial collaborative is introducing an interim national process for the review of cancer drugs on March 1, 2007. The Joint Oncology Drug Review will help ensure a more timely, effective and efficient review and evaluation of cancer drugs.
Currently, the provinces have separate processes for reviewing and recommending oncology drugs to their governments. This results in variations across jurisdictions with respect to coverage, criteria for coverage, and costs for cancer drugs.
New oral oncology agents eligible for coverage by public drug plans are currently submitted to the Common Drug Review (CDR) program at the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). Effective March 1, 2007, all submissions for oncology products (injectable and oral) will be made directly to the Ontario Committee to Evaluate Drugs/Cancer Care Ontario. (Detailed information about Ontario’s submission process and requirements is available on the Ontario ministry’s web site at www.health.gov.on.ca.) Through the Joint Oncology Drug Review, these submissions will be considered as a submission to all participating provinces. Final listing decisions will remain the responsibility of each jurisdiction.
The CDR has an observer seat on the Joint Oncology Drug Review Steering Committee and will be supporting the process by contributing to reviews of oncology agents at the request of the Joint Oncology Drug Review. However, CDR’s expert committee (the Canadian Expert Drug Advisory Committee) will not make recommendations on oral oncology agents submitted to the interim Joint Oncology Drug Review.
The CDR Submission Guidelines for Manufacturers and the Procedure for the Common Drug Review will be updated shortly to reflect these changes.
The interim Joint Oncology Drug Review is being co-led by Manitoba and Saskatchewan and will be in place for one year. During this time, participating jurisdictions and other key stakeholders will be consulted as part of an independent evaluation of the success of this interim process.