Patients Press for Funding of Ovarian Cancer Drug After Failed Negotiations

Patients and health organizations are intensifying pressure on the Canadian government to fund Elahere (mirvetuximab soravtansine), a chemotherapy treatment for women with ovarian cancer who cannot receive platinum-based chemotherapy. According to CityNews Toronto, negotiations to fund the drug failed in May between the drugmaker, AbbVie, and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), which negotiates pricing for provincial, territorial, and federal public drug plans.

While Health Canada has approved Elahere and Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) recommends public reimbursement, the lack of coverage leaves patients facing steep costs. Gertrude Spatafora, a patient whose doctors recommended the drug, told CityNews Toronto that each treatment can cost up to $30,000 and that she requires at least three treatments annually.

In response to the funding gap, Spatafora has launched a petition to the House of Commons, while Ovarian Cancer Canada has started a public awareness campaign. Tania Vrionis, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada, told CityNews Toronto that Elahere is the first option in over a decade for some women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and warned that women will be lost while the process remains unfinished.

Vrionis further noted that Canada ranks as the worst in the G7 for bringing new drugs to market, expressing concern that the difficulty of the process may deter companies from bringing medications to Canadians.

Regarding future negotiations, a pCPA spokesperson told CityNews Toronto that while negotiations have concluded, the agency would welcome an unsolicited offer from AbbVie. AbbVie stated it wants to negotiate as quickly as possible, though the company did not confirm if it plans to submit a new offer.