New at CADTH - January 2021

News and Events

 “There’s Always Evidence…” — A Special Three-Part Webinar January and February 2021

• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are regarded as the gold standard for evidence, but they are not always readily available to inform a specific clinical, policy, or health management decision. In this special three-part webinar series, experts will demonstrate that there is always evidence if you know where to look for it. Learn more.
• Registration is now open for all 3 webinars:
  
  • Part 1: "There's Always Evidence..." with Dr. Gordon Guyatt (January 19, 2021)
  • Part 2: Beyond RCTs: The Many Benefits of Observational Studies with Dr. Amanda Sheppard and Dr. Sehar Jamal (February 2, 2021)
  • Part 3: Observational Studies: A Deeper Dive with Dr. Amanda Sheppard and Dr. Sehar Jamal (February 9, 2021)

Consultations Help Shape Updated Patient Input Guide

• Feedback from more than 35 patient groups has helped Canada's Drug Agency update its Guidance for Providing Patient Input — a key resource for patient groups, patients, and caregivers who contribute to our reimbursement review process.
• The guide now addresses some of the key improvements suggested by patient groups, which include expanding the definition of a patient group, providing clear examples of how patient input is used, and more.
• Learn more about the updates and Procedures for Canada's Drug Agency Reimbursement Reviews.

Pharmaceutical Review Update — Issue 19

• Our Pharmaceutical Reviews Update — Issue 19 is now available. See important news and information regarding the Canada's Drug Agency reimbursement review process. Highlights from this issue include:
  • New guidance for providing patient input
  • New web page for provisional funding algorithms

Canada's Drug Agency Virtual Symposium Recorded Sessions

• Did you miss some of the excellent live sessions during the 2020 Virtual Canada's Drug Agency Symposium? These sessions are available for on-demand viewing, for one more month, on the Symposium Website. Our pre-recorded sessions bring you fresh insights on a range of topics, including genetic testing, health economics, real-world evidence, and more!

Canada's Drug Agency Virtual Symposium Workshops 2020‒2021

• There’s still time to register for a variety of workshops between November 2020 and March 2021.
• The next workshop on January 20, 2021 is an introductory-level workshop, “Delving into the Literature: What Does the Evidence Really Say?” Participants will appreciate the importance of critical appraisal, understand potential sources of bias in published literature, and learn practical methods for evaluating some of the most common types of publications to assist their decision-making.
• Attendance is limited for all workshops, so register to hold your spot.

Want to learn more about our work on COVID-19? Visit our Canada's Drug Agency COVID Evidence Portal.

Canada's Drug Agency Reimbursement Reviews

Canada's Drug Agency recently issued the following reimbursement recommendations:

• Voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna) for vision loss, inherited retinal dystrophy
• Indacaterol glycopyrronium mometasone furoate (Enerzair Breezhaler) for asthma maintenance in adults
• Indacaterol/mometasone furoate (Atectura Breezhaler) for asthma maintenance
• esketamine hydrochloride (Spravato) for major depressive disorder in adults
• emicizumab (Hemlibra) for hemophilia A

Canada's Drug Agency Health Technology Reviews

Canada's Drug Agency recently published the following health technology reviews:

• Codeine for Pain Related to Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Hip: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness — Summary With Critical Appraisal
• Latent Tuberculosis Infection Testing in People with Compromised Immunity Prior to Biologic Therapy: A Review of Diagnostic Accuracy, Clinical Utility, and Guidelines — Summary With Critical Appraisal
• Brivaracetam versus Levetiracetam for Epilepsy: A Review of Comparative Clinical Safety — Summary With Critical Appraisal
• Rapid and Simultaneous Tuberculosis and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Rifampicin Resistance: A Review of Diagnostic Accuracy and Cost-Effectiveness — Summary With Critical Appraisal
• Direct Observational Therapy for the Treatment of Tuberculosis: A Review of Clinical Evidence and Guidelines — Summary With Critical Appraisal
• Coverage Categories at Public Drugs Plans in Canada — Environmental Scan
• Care Coordination and Funding of Pediatric Cerebral Palsy in Canada — Environmental Scan
• Bamlanivimab in the Treatment of Outpatients With COVID-19: A Critical Appraisal of an Interim Analysis of the BLAZE-1 Trial (Updated on December 3, 2020) — Health Technology Review
• Ongoing Trials of Plasma-Based Therapies for the Treatment of COVID-19 (Updated on December 22, 2020) — Health Technology Review
• Ongoing Trials for Drugs in the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 (Updated December 24, 2020) — Health Technology Review
• COVID-19 Impact on Intimate Partner Violence and Child Maltreatment — Health Technology review

Canada's Drug Agency Reference Lists

Canada's Drug Agency recently completed the following reference lists:

• Antidepressants for Geriatric Patients with Liver Disease and Mood or Anxiety Disorder: Guidelines — Reference List
• Point-of-Care Testing of International Normalized Ratios for People on Oral Anticoagulants: A Reference List — Reference List
• Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Chronic Pain: Clinical Effectiveness — Reference List
• Single-Entry Models for Scheduled Health Care Services: Clinical Utility and Guidelines — Summary of Abstracts
• Antidepressants Administered using Weight-Based Dosing Strategies for Depression: Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines — Summary of Abstracts
• Intrathecal Dexamethasone for Chronic Pain and Spinal Stenosis: Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines — Summary of Abstracts
• Telemedicine Use in Pediatric Emergency Departments: Guidelines — Summary of Abstracts
• Drug Deactivation Devices for Disposal of Pain Medications: Clinical Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines — Summary of Abstracts
• Patient Navigation Programs for People with Dementia: Clinical Utility, Cost-Effectiveness, and Guidelines — Summary of Abstracts

Canada's Drug Agency Horizon Scanning

Canada's Drug Agency recently published the following horizon scans:

• Connected Devices to Support Remote Examination and Diagnosis in Primary Care and Specialty Care — Issues in Emerging Health Technologies
• COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines for People With Cancer — Horizon Scan
• COVID-19 Testing: A Summary of Testing Methods— Horizon Scan
• Serological Tests for COVID-19 (Updated December 18, 2020) — Horizon Scan
• Rapid Point-of-Care Testing for COVID-19 — Horizon Scan
• Canada's Drug Agency Emerging Health Technology for COVID-19: Virus-Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 — Horizon Scan

Tell Us What You Think

We love hearing how our products and services are influencing health care policies, clinical practices, and patient outcomes. If you have a success story to share, please get in touch with your Canada's Drug Agency Liaison Officer.

Canada's Drug Agency E-Alerts: Subscribe to receive the latest Canada's Drug Agency news, reports, feedback opportunities, and events.