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ACE and CAPA hold press conference in Toronto—May 29, 2008

Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) and the Canadian Arthritis Patients Alliance (CAPA) are in Toronto today holding a press conference to highlight discrimination against people with arthritis in Ontario. Reimbursement listings for critically necessary medications on the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan are failing Ontarians who live with several of the most common and serious forms of inflammatory arthritis. ACE and CAPA are calling on government to correct several specific problems. These are:
  1. Abatacept (Orencia®) is still not listed on the Ontario medication reimbursement formulary for rheumatoid arthritis. This is in spite of the fact that it has received a recommendation to list from the Common Drug Review.
  2. Adalimumab (Humira®) for ankylosing spondylitis has not yet been listed on the Ontario medication reimbursement formulary. This, in spite of the fact that it has received a recommendation to list from the Common Drug Review.
  3. Infliximab (Remicade®) remains under review for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis in spite of strong clinical and cost-effectiveness research supporting their use.
  4. Rituximab (Rituxan®) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is only reimbursed after a person fails two other specific biologic medications. This listing criterion has no scientific basis, and only serves to delay appropriate treatment for people who need rituximab.
  5. Provincial review times for abatacept, adalimumab, and infliximab thus far have ranged from ten months to more than two years.


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Click here to see a copy of the press release for the ACE and CAPA Toronto press conference.

Click here to read the letter ACE and CAPA sent to members of the Ontario government.

Click here to read about discrimination against people with arthritis.

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City News at Noon — 12:16pm, May 29, 2008
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