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immuno-oncology

Calling all STAGE I, II & III MELANOMA PATIENTS in Canada!

Please participate in this survey regarding preferences for adjuvant treatment of melanoma in Canada. The ANONYMOUS SURVEY will require approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Sponsored by Novartis, the information in this study may be included in research publications and submissions to agencies that evaluate and make recommendations regarding reimbursement of treatments for patients in Canada.

To participate, please CLICK HERE. The survey will remain open for completion until midnight (EST) on Friday, August 17, 2018.

 

In order to qualify for participation, you must (1) currently reside in Canada, (2) have a current diagnosis of local or regional melanoma (Stage I, II, or III), and (3) be at least 18 years of age. Individuals who reside outside of Canada, do not have melanoma or currently have metastatic melanoma (Stage IV), or are younger than 18 years of age are not eligible to participate.

If you have any questions, you may contact the study manager or the sponsor directly using the contact information below: 

Study Manager Study Sponsor

Daniel Stellato, BS

Research Analyst

Policy Analysis Inc. (PAI)

Four Davis Court

Brookline, MA 02445

USA

Phone: 617-232-4400

Email: dsetllato@pai2.com

 

Marroon Thabane, PhD

Manager, Health Economics and Outcomes Research

Oncology Business Unit

Novartis Pharmaceuticals

385 Bouchard Blvd.

Dorval, Quebec H9S 1A9  CANADA

Phone: 905-512-3755

Email: marroon.thabane@novartis.com

 

About Policy Analysis Inc. (PAI)

PAI is a health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) organization providing services to the global biopharmaceutical industry located in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA (https://www.pai2.com).

About Novartis

Novartis is a global healthcare company that provides solutions to address the evolving needs of patients worldwide (https://www.novartis.ca/en).

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Take the All.Can Patient Survey in Canada

Can you help to shape the future of cancer care? Check out this patient survey launched in Canada.

In healthcare, inefficiency is often caused by neglecting to focus on what matters most to patients. A new international patient survey is gathering insights on inefficiencies in cancer care and is asking Canadian cancer patients (and their carers) to share their thoughts and experiences on where inefficiencies occur, and how cancer care could be improved. Findings will be revealed later this year and used to inform policy discussions on improving cancer care for all.

The survey is being administered by All.Can (www.all-can.org), an international multi-stakeholder policy initiative focused on improving efficiency in cancer care. Please share your thoughts, to ensure the patient voice can be at the heart of cancer care. #PatientsAllCan

For more information and to complete the survey for Canada or other countries, visit: http://patientsurvey.all-can.org

As a member of All.Can International, Save Your Skin Foundation has been working closely with the administrators of this survey, and is here to support you.  If you would like further information or need help with the survey or subsequent reporting of survey responses, please contact us at info@saveyourskin.ca

Thank you!

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Webinar: About BioSimilars

As a kick-off to our 2018 webinar series, Save Your Skin Foundation presents:

About Biosimilars: What We Know and What We Want to Know

Friday, January 19, 2018 at 1pm – 2pm EST | 10am-11am PST

Presenters: Louise Binder, SYSF Health Policy, Cathy Parker, Director Policy and International Collaboration – Health Canada, and Helen Mai, Policy and Strategy Advisor, CADTH.

This webinar will be a panel discussion on Biosimilars in oncology, the approval process, and the potential policy position for oncology drug reimbursement. Discussion Points will include Health Canada’s review and approval for sale, CADTH’S role in this area and their involvement with pCPA, and potential policy objectives and position for oncology drug reimbursement.

Updated January 23, 2018:

Missed the webinar?  Listen to a recording of the presentation here, or view it on our youTube channel here.  Also please click here for a page of Resources regarding Biosimilars.

 

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SYSF Attends ESMO 2017 Congress

September 8-12, 2017, Kathy Barnard attended the ESMO 2017 Congress, European Society for Medical Oncology, in Madrid Spain.  In partnership with the European Association for Cancer Research, ESMO brought cancer researchers and clinicians together to enable collaboration and the exchange of ideas, from the laboratory to the bedside and back. This exciting partnership creates a unique cancer congress in Europe with huge scientific reach and the true potential to improve the lives of cancer patients.

With her, Kathy brought home the latest in news about melanoma and other skin cancers, as summarized in this report: ESMO 2017 Congress – Melanoma Highlights.

View or download the report HERE for details about the following:

Plenary Sessions
Adjuvant dabrafenib plus trametinib significantly lowers risk of death in stage III BRAF V600–mutated melanoma
BRIM8 data shows benefit with adjuvant vemurafenib in resected BRAFV600 positive melanoma
Nivolumab bests ipilimumab as adjuvant therapy in resected melanoma

Article from ESMO Daily Reporter
Practice-changing phase III data in melanoma patients cause excitement at a Presidential Symposium

Links to Press Releases
ESMO 2017 Press Release: Combination Targeted Adjuvant Therapy Doubles Relapse-free Survival in Stage III Melanoma
ESMO 2017 Press Release: Adjuvant Nivolumab Superior to Ipilimumab in Surgically Resected Stage III/IV Melanoma

Poster Submissions

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Federal Health Minister Vows to Lower High Drug Costs for Canadians

Federal Health Minister Dr. Jane Philpott made headlines this week with her vow to lower “unacceptably high drug costs” for Canadians. Save Your Skin Foundation was in Ottawa to attend the Minister’s announcement on “improving affordability, accessibility and appropriate use of drugs in Canada.”  This is big news as it may well have a profound impact on drug prices in the country.

Many Canadians are unaware of how many barriers cancer patients face when attempting to access treatments. Now that there are finally new innovative cancer treatments available, drug prices have become a controversial issue. Many treatments are only conditionally covered by Provincial Healthcare leaving many patients with nothing, or the option to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a chance at survival. Treatment options are also not the same across the country, leaving patients in some provinces at a disadvantage.

Louise Binder, a Drug Policy expert that works at Save Your Skin, commented on the announcement:

“Patients requiring effective but high-cost drugs for life threatening conditions, including oncology, certainly support steps to moderate prices and ensure access to all people in Canada who need them. As always, the devil is in the details. We are pleased that the Minister committed to meaningful patient engagement at every step in the process.”

Binder has been analyzing this issue for years on behalf of patient groups. In addition to consulting with Save Your Skin Foundation, Binder is a co-founding member of the Drug Pricing Policy Working Groups, brought together after the 2016 Drug Pricing Policy Summit co-sponsored by Save Your Skin Foundation, Schizophrenia Society of Ontario and Canadian Cancer Survivor Network.

For more information, and to join the conversation, please read our press release here:

Philpott’s Drug Pricing Changes in the Right Direction but the Devil is in the Details

And Globe & Mail article here:

Philpott vows to bring down ‘unacceptably high’ drug costs

For questions for more information, please contact kathy@saveyourskin.ca

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