The Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA, former CADTH) is an independent, not for profit agency that is funded by Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and which provides evidence-based information to health care leaders and policy makers about the effectiveness and efficiency of health technologies (i.e. drugs and medical devices). All new drugs and medical devices that are approved in Canada undergo a CDA review, which is a process that also calls for input from patient groups. In the case of drugs, this is called the Common Drug Review or CDR. CAPA believes it is important to provide CDR input on all arthritis-related drugs so that there are many options available for people who live with arthritis. When CAPA undertakes submissions to CDA’s CDR, it tries to ensure that voices and experiences of those patients who have used the drug under review are heard.

To learn more about the process of the CDA CDR, including all stakeholders who provide input to CDA, please refer to the process page on CDA’s website here.

CAPA developed and presented a poster presentation for the 2015 CADTH Symposium. The poster highlighted our involvement in providing patient evidence submissions to the CDR process.

CAPA posts its CDA submissions below, and if you would like your voice heard in the patient input submission process, please visit CAPA’s Facebook page for more information on how to contribute to current submissions that are underway.

Note that Ontario and Quebec also have a patient input submission process to which CAPA also provides input – and our submissions to those calls are below the CDA submissions.

Submissions to CDA

Click on the titles below to see the submissions CAPA has prepared and submitted to CDA.

• Anifrolumab (Saphnelo) for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance and Lupus Ontario)
• Feedback on Draft Recommendation on Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for the treatment of adult patients with GCA (Arthritis Society Canada, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, and Vasculitis Foundation Canada)
• INNESS Drug Evaluation Questionnaire for Patients and Caregiver Associations and Groups (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Vasculitis Foundation Canada, Arthritis Society Canada)
• Sarilumab (Kevzara) for Polymyalgia Rheumatica (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Vasculitis Foundation Canada, Arthritis Society Canada)
• Obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for Lupus Nephritis (LN) (Arthritis Society Canada, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance)
• Rinvoq Drug Evaluation Questionnaire for Patient and Caregiver Associations and Groups developed by Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS)
• Bulk Purchasing: Feedback on Draft Recommendations developed by Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA)
• Tofacitinib for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (Arthritis Society Canada, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association, Cassie + Friends, Psoriasis Canada)
• Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for Giant cell arteritis (Arthritis Society Canada, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Vasculitis Foundation Canada, and Vision Health Initiatives)
• CAPA’s submission to CADTH’s PanCanadian Drug Formulary consultation
• Tofacitinib for the treatment of people living with Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) (Canadian Psoriasis Network (CPN), CAPP (CPN and CAPP have currently consolidated to Psoriasis Canada), CSA, CAPA, CJ Canada, and ASC
• Bimekizumab for the treatment of people living with Ankylosing spondylitis (The Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association (CSA), Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), Arthritis Society Canada (ASC) and CreakyJoints (CJ))
• Bimekizumab for the treatment of people living with psoriatic arthritis (The Canadian Psoriasis Network (CPN), Arthritis Society Canada (ASC), the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance (CAPA), the Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients (CAPP), the Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association (CSA), and CreakyJoints (CJ))
• Response to a recommendation on Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for the treatment of people living with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) (Arthritis Society Canada, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Spondylitis Association and Creaky Joints Canada)
• Anifrolumab (Saphnelo) for the treatment of people living with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Skin Patient Alliance, Arthritis Society Canada, CreakyJoints Canada)
• Belimumab (Benlysta) for the treatment of people living with Lupus nephritis (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Skin Patient Alliance, Arthritis Society Canada, CreakyJoints Canada)
• Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for the treatment of people living with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) (Arthritis Society Canada, Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Spondylitis Association and Creaky Joints Canada)
• Anifrolumab (Saphnelo) for the treatment of adult patients with active, autoantibody positive, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, the Arthritis Society and Canadian Skin Pain Patient Alliance)
• Belimumab (Benlysta) for the treatment of Lupus nephritis (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Canadian Skin Pain Patient Alliance, the Arthritis Society and CreakyJoints Canada)
• Guselkumab (Tremfya) for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance, Arthritis Society and CreakyJoints Canada)
• Anifrolumab (Saphnelo) for the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) (CAPA, the Arthritis Society and Canadian Skin Patient Alliance)
• Upadacitinib for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) (CAPA and the Arthritis Society submission)
• Anakinra (Kineret) for Still’s disease and SJIA in adults and pediatric patients (CAPA, the Arthritis Society and Cassie & Friends submission)
• Ixekizumab for ankylosing spondylitis (joint CAPA & TAS submission)
• Upadacitinib for rheumatoid arthritis (joint CAPA & TAS submission)
• Benlysta (belimumab) for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (joint CAPA & TAS submission)
• Input on CADTH’s patient input template for subsequent entry biologics
• Input on conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (csDMARD’s)
• Input on availability and access to non-pharmacological treatments for chronic non-cancer pain
• Actemra (Tocilizumab) subcutaneous for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Baricitinib for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Canakinumab for Systemic Juvenile Idopathic Arthritis (SJIA)
• Cosentyx (Secukinumab) for Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Cosentyx (Secukinumab) for Psoriatic Arthritis
• Cimzia for Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Inflectra (Infliximab) for Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Inflectra (Infliximab) for Psoriatic Arthritis
• Inflectra (Infliximab) for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Ixekizumab for Psoriatic Arthritis
• Nucynta for treatment of pain
• TBC (Etanercept) for Ankylosing Spondylitis
• TBC (Etanercept) for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Remsima (Infliximab) for Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Remsima (Infliximab) for Psoriatic Arthritis
• Remsima (Infliximab) for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Sarilumab for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Xeljanz (Tofacitinib) for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Submissions to Ontario, Quebec and BC

• OPDP Actemra (self-injectable) for Rheumatoid Arthritis
• OPDP Apremilast (Otezla) for Psoriatic Arthritis
• OPDP Cimzia for Psoriatic Arthritis
• OPDP Cimzia for Ankylosing Spondylitis
• OPDP Inflectra (Infliximab) for Ankylosing Spondylitis
• OPDP Inflectra (Infliximab) for Psoriatic Arthritis
• OPDP Inflectra (Infliximab) for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Note that CAPA has provided submissions to BC Pharmacare through their online program for:

• Cimzia – Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Cosentyx – Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Xeljanz – Rheumatoid Arthritis