Canada has a cure for COVID, but it is not used
What's the reason?
AbCellera, a Vancouver-based biotechnology company, has developed a drug for COVID-19. The drug is approved by Health Canada but is not yet used in the country.
"In Canada, the drug was quickly approved. The federal government signed a supply agreement with us back in November," says Dr. Carl Hansen, co-founder and CEO of AbCellera.
However, further distribution of the medicine has stalled at the provincial and territorial levels. The committees that decide on the use of the medicine in the regions of Canada are taking their time because they want more data on clinical trials.
AbCellera's development of the drug Bamlanivimab is based on antibody treatment, it acts as artificial immunity. According to Hansen, using the drug in the early stages of infection can reduce the likelihood of developing severe disease and death by up to 80%.
"We have treatments that can help people, but they never reach the patients. It's just inexcusable," Hansen believes.
So why are the provincial authorities procrastinating? There is an explanation. In November, Bamlanivimab was approved for temporary use in Canada, but there are a number of conditions. The approval by the Ministry of Health requires AbCellera to provide reports on serious side effects, additional data on the drug's effectiveness, data from ongoing clinical trials and information to confirm the drug's quality.
In addition, the Ontario government has stated that the Canadian Agency for Medicines and Health Technology and the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Human Services are not as optimistic about the drug as Dr. Hansen.
"If the disease is mild to moderate, the use of Bamlanivimab is not recommended because of unproven clinical benefit," the government statement said.
Both the Drug Agency and the National Institute agree that more clinical trials are needed to provide evidence of the drug's effectiveness.
Authorities in British Columbia and Alberta have also made their statements. Both provinces are testing the drug and regulators are awaiting results. The Government of Alberta notes that the data do not now clearly show that the benefits of Bamlanivimab outweigh the risks associated with its use.
