Good news from MPP Mike Brown
BROWN ANNOUNCES MORE TREATMENT FUNDED FOR CANCER PATIENTS
by Karina Hunter
Ontario Expands Access to Cancer Drug
Queen’s Park, November 30th, Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Brown announced that Ontario is expanding access to Avastin for colorectal cancer patients who are responding well to treatment. The costly cancer drug was the subject of a bitter review released earlier this year by Ontario’s ombudsman André Marin.
Working in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company, the government of Ontario, relying on assessments of scientific data and clinical evidence by the Committee to Evaluate Drugs and the Cancer Care Ontario sub-committee, has revised recommendations on funding for the colorectal cancer drug, Avastin; expanding access to the drug for targeted patients at a reduced cost.
“I am pleased that we can now make Avastin more available to colorectal cancer patients. We remain committed to providing more cost-effective medication for people in Ontario, and reinvesting our savings in new and better drugs for everyone,” said Brown.
The Ontario Public Drug Programs will now cover the cost of Avastin for patients who require the treatment beyond 16 cycles, if medical evidence from a physician indicates there has been no disease progression. No doubt good news in Brown’s northern Ontario riding as the Colorectal-Cancer Association of Canada lists Northern Ontario as having some of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the country.
The new criteria, effective immediately, will allow funded treatment of Avastin up to 24 cycles where previously the medication was funded for a maximum of 16 treatment cycles. Treatment with Avastin beyond 24 cycles could still be available on advice from the patient’s doctor or oncologist.
