The PMPRB Will Not Move Forward with Changes to the Patented Medicines Regulations
For the past two years, BIOQuébec had been working with other pan-Canadian life sciences organizations to defend its position against changes to the PMPRB’s price list. Numerous briefs and letters were submitted and BIOQuébec appeared before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Health last June.
In February of this year, the Court of Appeal rendered an important decision in this matter by unanimously declaring the 2019 amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations that govern the PMPRB to be partially invalid.
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On April 14, 2022, the Minister of Health announced that the federal government would not implement the changes to the patented medicines regulations introducing new pharmaco-economic factors and requiring that information related to cost and revenues be disclosed. The federal government will move forward with the changes which use a new basket of comparative countries. These amendments are expected to come into force on July 1, 2022.
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BIOQuébec welcomes the government’s decision and believes in the importance of continuing to acknowledge that the price of drugs is a determining factor in the development of innovative treatments and the access to better care for the public. We agree with our colleagues at Innovative Medicines Canada that "changing the basket of comparator countries to include a range of countries that is not reflective of the country’s economic status provides greater predictability but does little to cultivate the competitive market needed to attract global investment and to ensure access to the best medicines for Canadians.”
BIOQuébec is also pleased to have the opportunity to work with Health Canada on developing a coherent Canadian Innovation Strategy that will meet our industry’s needs.