Posted by Michael Wonder on 16 Apr 2019
New genetic therapies in cancer treatment could impact benefits plans
12 April 2019 - In September 2018, Health Canada approved, for the first time, the use of a chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy.
Called Kymriah, it treats pediatric and young adult leukemia and adult lymphoma. The federal regulator is also reviewing a second gene therapy, called Yescarta, for an aggressive kind of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Both therapies are expensive, with Kymriah retailing in the U.S. for as much as US$475,000 and Yescarta for US$373,000 per treatment. While the price in Canada is still unclear, Cancer Care Ontario — which the provincial government is merging into super-agency Ontario Health — is negotiating the price with Novartis, the pharmaceutical company that produces Kymriah, on behalf of all provinces.
