AbbVie announced that HUMIRA® (adalimumab) will now be paid off in British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and Yukon for the treatment of adult patients with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) who have had a weak response to conventional therapy including corticosteroids, azathioprine and/or 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), or who are resistant to such therapies. It is also now covered by the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, which offers range to nearly one million status First Nations and Inuit peoples.
HUMIRA® (adalimumab) will now be reimbursed in more areas and it is also covered by the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease of the colon, marked by inflammation and ulceration of the colon mucosa, or innermost lining. Canada has among the highest reported prevalence and incidence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in the world. There are approximately 104,000 Canadians living with UC and approximately 4,500 new cases of UC are diagnosed every year.1
"This is great news because it improves public access to another treatment option for Canadians with ulcerative colitis," says Dr. Brian Bressler, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of British Columbia. "In British Columbia in particular, this means HUMIRA is the only sub-cutaneous option covered by the government and having that treatment option is critical for patients."
"Ulcerative colitis is a chronic and challenging disease to manage and patients need medications that work," explains Gail Attara, Chief Executive Officer, Gastrointestinal Society. "Ensuring coverage of these vital biologic medications for patients across the country is essential."
"The longstanding and extensive experience of HUMIRA® in Canada across numerous indications makes it an important option for those living with ulcerative colitis," says General Manager, Stéphane Lassignardie, AbbVie Canada. "AbbVie is also committed to developing new advanced innovative therapies in immunology in order to address unmet medical needs."
HUMIRA® is also approved in Canada in adults for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Crohn's disease (CD), psoriasis (Ps), hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), uveitis (Uv), as well as in children 2 years of age and older for the treatment of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease (CD) 13 to 17 of age, ≥ 40kg.
About HUMIRA
HUMIRA resembles antibodies normally found in the body. It works by blocking TNF-α, a protein that, when produced in excess, plays a central role in the inflammatory responses of many immune-mediated diseases.
HUMIRA is one of the most comprehensively studied biologics available. The overall clinical database for HUMIRA spans 20 years across 13 indications globally (10 in Canada), including more than 100 clinical trials with more than 33,000 patients. HUMIRA is approved in 90 countries and used by more than 1 million patients worldwide.
Any medicines can have side effects. Like all medicines that affect the immune system, HUMIRA can cause serious side effects.2 Before initiation of, during and after treatment with HUMIRA, patients should be evaluated for active or inactive tuberculosis infection with a tuberculin skin test.
Important Safety Information2
HUMIRA is a TNF blocker medicine that affects the immune system and can lower the body's ability to fight infections. Serious infections have happened in people taking HUMIRA. These serious infections include tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or bacteria that have spread throughout the bod...
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