Benefits

3 P. As of January 19, 2023, Health Canada was reviewing 123 drug submissions. Over half of these submissions (76) are for new drugs and the rest are new indications for drugs that are already on the market. About 13 of the new drug submissions are for cancer therapies. None are expected to have a major impact on private drug plans. Ten of them are intravenous drugs that must be administered in hospital or institutional settings. The remaining three are oral drugs, but similar existing ones will mute their impact: the expense would be the same for existing therapies. That said, this news highlights the strides made in cancer therapy, adding months to the lives of patients, many of whom are of working age. That leaves about 63 pipeline drugs for consideration, and more from the longer- term perspective. TELUS Health has identified three drugs worth exploring based on their potential impact on private drug plans: one for diabetes and two for migraine. In the rare-disease space, Hemgenix was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 2022 for the treatment of hemophilia B. With a price tag of US $3.5 million for a one-time treatment, this gene therapy has taken over the title of the most expensive drug in the world. While Hemgenix has not yet been submitted to Health Canada, it is worth monitoring for its price alone. Lastly, the 2023 edition of the TELUS Health Drug Pipeline report summarizes what private drug insurers can expect for generic and biosimilar drugs. Three biosimilar drug submissions are expected this year and a host of generic entries should provide some cost relief for plan sponsors, particularly in the diabetes category. Introduction Mark Jackson, BScPhm, RPh Pharmacy Consultant, TELUS Health

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