Therapeutics: Standing Committee on Health—January 18, 2022
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Procurement of COVID-19 therapeutics
Context
Public Services and Procurement Canada is working with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, along with the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force to procure COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutic drugs, and related supplies.
Note
- For all therapeutic solutions, questions about allocation and distribution should be directed to Public Health Agency of Canada
- For all therapeutic solutions, questions about regulatory approval should be directed to Health Canada
- All questions on donations should be referred to Global Affairs Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada
Suggested response
- While vaccination remains the best way to protect the public from COVID-19, therapeutics provide a variety of additional tools to our health care providers
- More than 7 therapeutics have been procured and several deployed to provinces and territories for use in health care systems. Procurements of 2 other therapeutics are also being pursued
- Of note, Paxlovid, a convenient oral antiviral from Pfizer, has received regulatory approval by Health Canada, and the first shipment of 30,400 treatment courses has already arrived in Canada with distribution to provinces and territories will begin immediately
- Given strong global demand for some of these therapeutics, Public Services and Procurement Canada has taken a very proactive approach, which has been very successful in securing the products for use in Canada
- The Government of Canada also recognizes the outstanding achievements of the pharmaceutical industry in identifying, developing and producing promising therapeutics to treat COVID-19, and for their continued cooperation to help Canada make these products available for our citizens
Background
Oral antiviral treatments
On January 7, 2022, Canada signed a contract with Pfizer for 1 million treatment courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral therapeutic Paxlovid, for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms, pending regulatory approval. On December 3, 2021, Canada awarded a contract to Merck for 501,120 courses of its Molnupiravir oral antiviral therapeutic for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms, pending regulatory approval.
Canada is expecting an additional 120,000 treatment courses to be delivered before the end of March. Further delivery schedules for Paxlovid are being confirmed, with the intent of bringing treatment courses into Canada as quickly as possible. A total of 1 million treatment courses of Paxlovid have been ordered and will be made available as soon as possible to help protect the health of Canadians
Injection treatments
On October 20, 2020, Canada awarded a contract with McKesson/Gilead for the Remdesivir therapeutic drug for 25,000 treatments courses.
On November 22, 2020, Canada awarded a contract of up to 26,000 doses of Eli Lilly’s antibody treatment, Bamlanivimab. The treatment was developed in partnership with Canadian company AbCellera, combining its advanced antibody therapy discovery platform with Eli Lilly’s manufacturing and distribution capability.
On March 12, 2021, Canada finalized an agreement with Roche Canada for the supplemental supply of Tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms. To date, 16,000 treatments have been delivered. Roche is managing supply to ensure that there is sufficient stock for on-label use in Canada and other countries.
On June 11, 2021, Canada awarded a contract with Roche for its Regeneron therapeutic drug for 9,000 treatments, and all deliveries have been received.
In October 2021, the Government of Canada awarded a contract to GlaxoSmithKline which has later been amended to add additional quantities, for the purchase Sotrovimab for the treatment of COVID-19. Total orders are now for 30,083 doses, of which 20,006 have already been delivered.
Canada is also currently assessing potential procurement of 2 other therapeutics.