Subsequent Entry Biologics (SEB’s)
What you need to know

We are pleased to announce that CAPA has developed a position paper on the important topic of Subsequent Entry Biologics (SEB’s). You might be wondering what SEB’s are – they are similar, but not identical versions of existing biologic medications. Biologics treat various forms of inflammatory arthritis and are drugs made in living cells that target specific parts of the immune system. Because they are complex molecules, SEBs are not an identical molecule to the originator drug. Unlike generics, where the active ingredient is the same, SEBs have the same mechanism of action (i.e. targets the same biological pathway) as the original biologic, but do not have the exact same active or medicinal ingredient. To learn more, you can register for a web broadcast scheduled for January 19, 2015. Read CAPA’s position on SEB’s in English and French.

CAPA teams up with Medivizor – Medivizor is a new and unique service that CAPA has partnered with so that you – our members, can receive the cutting-edge science updates related to your RA (note that right now they are offering RA information only, but this will change with time). Medivizor sifts through the thousands of research and clinical trials papers and directly brings you those that relate to you. To get the best of the service, you must subscribe (free & private). However, if you want to see the type of information you might get, check out their sample library related to RA.

Best Medicines Coalition Conference – CAPA works with many partners and has been a long standing member of the Best Medicines Coalition. New CAPA Board Member, Don Mohoruk, attended this year’s annual conference in Toronto, ON. Read his report of the conference including some interesting trends in insurance plans.

Science in Motion Workshop – At the end of October 2014, the Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) brought together all stakeholders, including CAPA President and Vice President, Linda Wilhelm and Dawn Richards for a day long workshop in Toronto. Read their meeting report here.

Wait Time Alliance – The Wait Time Alliance (WTA) is a committee of the Canadian Medical Association that is concerned about Canadians’ delays in getting access to various health care services. The WTA creates acceptable benchmarks for different areas and measures progress towards achieving these each year and it also offers solutions to the wait times problems. This year, CAPA’s Vice President, Dawn Richards, was asked to join the WTA as their first ever patient representative. Dawn works on the WTA to bring a patient perspective to the table.

Picture of the CAPA Board of Directors – back row from left to right: Janet Gunderson, Elaine Wychesruk, Don Mohoruk, Linda Wilhelm, Marie-Eve Veilleux and Kathy Lynn Worthman; front row from left to right: Simone Hughes, Laurie Proulx and Dawn Richards.

New CAPA Board Members – We are pleased to announce that Don Mohoruk and Kathy Lynn Worthman have joined the Board of Directors of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA). You can learn more about Don and Kathy Lynn on our website. Please join us in welcoming these two wonderful additions to the Board!

CAPA 2015 Strategic Plan – We held our annual board meeting November 1-2, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario and we finalized our 2015 strategic plan. Read through what we have planned in order to better support patients living with arthritis.