Therapeutics: Standing Committee on Health—January 18, 2022

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Procurement of COVID-19 therapeutics

Context

Public Services and Procurement Canada is working with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, along with the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force to procure COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutic drugs, and related supplies.

Note

Suggested response

Background

Oral antiviral treatments

On January 7, 2022, Canada signed a contract with Pfizer for 1 million treatment courses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 oral antiviral therapeutic Paxlovid, for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms, pending regulatory approval. On December 3, 2021, Canada awarded a contract to Merck for 501,120 courses of its Molnupiravir oral antiviral therapeutic for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms, pending regulatory approval.

Canada is expecting an additional 120,000 treatment courses to be delivered before the end of March. Further delivery schedules for Paxlovid are being confirmed, with the intent of bringing treatment courses into Canada as quickly as possible. A total of 1 million treatment courses of Paxlovid have been ordered and will be made available as soon as possible to help protect the health of Canadians

Injection treatments

On October 20, 2020, Canada awarded a contract with McKesson/Gilead for the Remdesivir therapeutic drug for 25,000 treatments courses.

On November 22, 2020, Canada awarded a contract of up to 26,000 doses of Eli Lilly’s antibody treatment, Bamlanivimab. The treatment was developed in partnership with Canadian company AbCellera, combining its advanced antibody therapy discovery platform with Eli Lilly’s manufacturing and distribution capability.

On March 12, 2021, Canada finalized an agreement with Roche Canada for the supplemental supply of Tocilizumab for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms. To date, 16,000 treatments have been delivered. Roche is managing supply to ensure that there is sufficient stock for on-label use in Canada and other countries.

On June 11, 2021, Canada awarded a contract with Roche for its Regeneron therapeutic drug for 9,000 treatments, and all deliveries have been received.

In October 2021, the Government of Canada awarded a contract to GlaxoSmithKline which has later been amended to add additional quantities, for the purchase Sotrovimab for the treatment of COVID-19. Total orders are now for 30,083 doses, of which 20,006 have already been delivered.

Canada is also currently assessing potential procurement of 2 other therapeutics.

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