Province and feds sign bilateral agreement to fund rare disease treatment

Kayle Neis/Regina Leader-Post. Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill (pictured) and federal Health Minister Mark Holland announced a new bilateral agreement to help fund treatments for residents with rare diseases.

Canada’s Minister of Health Mark Holland and Saskatchewan Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill announced a new bilateral agreement on Friday to invest more than $40 million in improving access to selected new drugs for rare diseases and support enhanced access to existing drugs, early diagnosis, and screening.

“The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to partner with the federal government to benefit Saskatchewan residents and communities across the province,” Cockrill said in a press release. “Through this bi-lateral funding agreement we are signing today, we are building on our existing efforts to enhance coverage and provide our residents and their families with even greater access to new high-cost rare drugs.”

Roughly one in 12 people Canadians live with a rare disease, according to the press release, and for many the cost of treatment is unaffordable. According to the federal government, treatments for rare diseases can cost anywhere from $100,000 to more than $4 million.

The ministers said the next step will be to deliver funding to support the province for Poteligeo, which treats mycosis fungoides or Sezary syndrome, Oxlumo, which treats hyperoxaluria type 1, and Epkinly for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The list of drugs on the common list will be published online following the conclusion of the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance price negotiations.

The press release said the agreement means Saskatchewan is willing to work with Canada and other provinces and territories on developing and implementing a plan for improving screening and diagnostics for rare diseases.

“This agreement is another step toward building a stronger public health system for the people of Saskatchewan,” Holland said in the press release. “By investing in drugs for rare diseases, this agreement will improve affordability and access to medications, early diagnosis, and screening, so that people in Saskatchewan with rare diseases have the best health outcomes possible.”

Holland added that the Government of Canada remains committed to working with provinces and territories to improve health care for all Canadians, including access to affordable prescription medications and better health outcomes for everyone.

The Government of Canada In March 2023, announced an investment of up to $1.5 billion over three years to support the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases, including up to $1.4 billion for bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to help patients with rare diseases have access to treatments as early as possible, for better quality of life.

-Advertisement-