Statement made on 04 March 2010 by Senator Tommy Banks (retired)
Hon. Tommy Banks:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. I had intended to present the question with much more notice, so I am assuming the leader will take this as notice.
My question is about a drug called bevacizumab. Its commercial name is Avastin, and its proprietor in Canada is Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. This drug has been approved by Health Canada for use in the treatment of certain forms of cancer but not brain cancer, and specifically not for the treatment of glioblastoma.
In the United States, the federal drug administration formally approved the use of this drug in the treatment of glioblastoma in May 2009. In Canada, the drug has been prescribed by physicians for the treatment of brain cancer because they believe it to be effective, even though it has not yet been approved by Health Canada for that purpose.
A conference in Calgary last October was told that Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. had completed tests for safety and efficacy of this application and had submitted it to Health Canada with a recommendation for its approval for that use in that therapy.
I appreciate the niceties of proprietary interests and confidentiality, but I would be grateful if the minister would find out and tell us whether a recommendation for the use of Avastin for the treatment of brain cancer, and specifically for glioblastoma, has been received by Health Canada and provide us with a general indication of when Health Canada might make decisions in that regard.
Please click here to read the full text of the Senator's question