CRAJ Winter 2022

Winter 2022 (Volume 32, Number 4)

Update from the Therapeutics Committee

By Alison Kydd, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Over the past year, the CRA Therapeutics Committee has continued to work on issues related to COVID-19. We have also been working on new initiatives for the CRA involving the review and approval of Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) submissions for rheumatic medications. Some of the highlights over the past year include the following:

Updates on the CRA Position Statement on COVID-19 Vaccination — last updated in March 2022
Communication sent to CRA members on May 10th regarding triamcinolone and Depo-Medrol shortages.
E-blast sent to members Sept 9th regarding the triamcinolone hexacetonide shelf-life extension
Communications with Amgen regarding changes in access to Enbrel for pediatric patients.
Development of a review process for CADTH clinician input applications for submission by the CRA.
CRA Position Statements on Biosimilars and Citrate-Free Adalimumab — published in November 2022.
Work on a provincial framework to aid with communication and dissemination of information regarding drug access issues.
Initial meetings regarding the development of a Drug Access and Adjudication (Pharmacare) Subcommittee.

Monitoring drug shortages and advocating for CRA members and their patients are always our top priorities. We will continue to respond to emerging issues on behalf of our members through position statements.

This work is only possible through the dedication of our volunteer committee members, who are all very busy with their numerous other roles. They have been highly committed and have always impressed me with their quick response and expert guidance. My Co-Chair Rosie Scuccimarri and I greatly appreciate their ongoing support. We have recently added trainee member Glynis Byrne and look forward to her involvement on the committee. In addition, we have recently welcomed Sarah Webster, a CRA staff member, who is proving to be excellent in her new role. We send a heartfelt thanks to Sue Ranta who worked with our committee for a number of years.

Alison Kydd, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Co-chair, CRA Therapeutics Committee
Clinical Associate Professor, Rheumatology
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia