Submit Your Answers to the Following 2 Questions BY EMAIL
OR
Submit Your Answers to the Following 2 Questions BY ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE
Only submit your answers once. Submit your answers before February 12, 2016.
Our Request
We are asking that you take a moment to send us your answers to the two questions below and any other information that may help us with this request for patient input.
CADTH’s Request for Patient Input
The public drug plans that seek advice from CADTH’s Canadian Drug Expert Committee (CDEC), such as BC PharmaCare, have requested guidance about aligning two sets of recommendations for four hepatitis C treatments (Daklinza, Harvoni, Holkira Pak, and Sovaldi). The two sets of recommendations that the drug plans want aligned are CADTH’s therapeutic review on drugs for hepatitis C and CDEC Final Recommendation for the four hepatitis C treatments. (More information about the four CDEC final recommendations is below.)
The response to this request may result in changes to the current CDEC recommendations or new CDEC Records of Advice for these treatments.
Therefore, the CDEC has asked for patient input about the four hep C treatments, specifically answers to the following two questions:
- Question 1: “Is there anything the CADTH review team should be aware or reminded of, when updating individual recommendations for Harvoni, Holkira Pak, Sovaldi and/or Daklinza?”
- Question 2: “How do patients or how do you view hep C treatments that require ribavirin?”
Question 2 has been asked due to mixed feelings regarding ribavirin that have been expressed by hep C organizations. Some groups have reported that patients regard ribavirin as an intolerable treatment that is just as bad as interferon, whereas others see it as “tolerable and acceptable, if only barely and temporarily.”
Therefore, how do you feel about ribavirin? Would ribavirin as part of a hepatitis C treatment make you hesitant about that treatment? Would you take ribavirin if it increased your chances of a hep C cure? What information would influence whether you would take ribavirin or not?
Summaries of the CDEC Final Recommendations for Daklinza, Harvoni, Holkira Pak, and Solvaldi
| Treatment | Targeted Genotypes | Recommended Criteria | Suggested Conditions for Coverage |
| Daklinza in combination with Sovaldi*
(CDEC Final Recom-mendation Published Sept 21, 2015) |
1, 2, 3 |
|
|
| Harvoni*
(CDEC Final Recom-mendation Published Feb 18, 2015) |
1 |
|
|
| Holkira Pak*
(CDEC Final Recom-mendation Published May 21, 2015 and updated July 22, 2015) |
1 |
|
|
| Sovaldi + Pegylated Interferon with Ribavirin (PR)
(CDEC Final Recom-mendation Published Aug 18, 2014) |
1 |
|
|
| Sovaldi + Ribavirin (RBV)*
(CDEC Final Recom-mendation Published Aug 18, 2014) |
2 |
|
|
| 3 |
|
||
| *These treatments have possible pegylated interferon and/or ribavirin free options. Click their links for more information about the treatments. Our Basic Hep C Treatment Terms page also has more information about terms some may not be familiar with. Our Comparing Hep C Treatments page has additional information about the treatments except for Daklinza in combination with Sovaldi. |
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About CADTH
Within the Canadian drug approval process, Health Canada evaluates a drug’s safety, clinical effectiveness, and its manufacturing process. CADTH then assesses the treatment’s clinical and cost-effectiveness as it compares to other treatments.
About CADTH’s Canadian Drug Expert Committee (CDEC)
CADTH’s CDEC is an advisory board made up of experts and public members (for a lay perspective) that makes recommendations to the publicly funded drug plans about what and what not to cover and how to cover it.
Please email [email protected] for more information about this CDEC request.
Thank you for taking the time to voice your opinion and help advocate for a better tomorrow.