CCB BC - Yukon Division
“The voice of the Blind”
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED: Roche Pharmaceutical’s Faricimab being considered for funding under BC Pharmacare for the treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema
Summary
To promote the funding of Faricimab under Pharmacare and to demonstrate to the Drug Review Council, we are urging any and all those who are receiving interocular injections for the treatment of their AMD, their family members and/or caregivers to go on-line to the following link and complete the short 5-question “Your Voice” survey and share your lived experience receiving frequent injections to treat your AMD. (we will be approaching those with DME over the next few months to gather your input as well. But for now, the DRC wants to hear from AMD patients at present.)
Good afternoon,
Our apologies for the last minute distribution of this urgent and time sensitive call to action. Recent updates to our computers to the Windows11 operating system presented a number of unexpected challenges which took time for us to successfully overcome.
On June 1, 2022 Health Canada approved a very promising medication known as Faricimab – a medication administered through interocular injections to treat Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema. This medication joins others which have garnered Health Canada approval and is currently being considered by BC’s Drug Review Council for funding under Pharmacare. Amongst the benefits of Faricimab for those being treated with interocular injections for AMD or DME is the fact Faricimab has proven to require fewer and less frequent injections into the eye than other medications. Clinical trial results submitted to Health Canada showed Faricimab was equally effective with treatments applied every 3 to 4 months which will be comforting news to those receiving monthly injections of other effective but more frequent treatments. For those who are interested, we provide a link to Roche Pharmaceutical’s media release dated June 1, 2022 at the end of this posting.
To promote the funding of Faricimab under Pharmacare and to demonstrate to the Drug Review Council, we are urging any and all those who are receiving interocular injections for the treatment of their AMD, their family members and/or caregivers to go on-line to the following link and complete the short 5-question “Your Voice” survey and share your lived experience receiving frequent injections to treat your AMD. (we will be approaching those with DME over the next few months to gather your input as well. But for now, the DRC wants to hear from AMD patients at present.) https://surveymoh.health.gov.bc.ca/public/survey/faricimab-tbc-neovascular-wet-age-related-macular-degeneration-namd Survey responders may wish to speak to the burdens they encounter having to absorb the transportation/travel cost, inconvenience and transportation challenges associated with monthly treatments versus receiving a medication such as Faricimab which requires less frequent applications.
Again we apologize for the short notice but responses to the survey are required not later than Friday July 22, 2022. Please, this is an opportunity for our collective voices to be heard, for all those receiving these injections to come together and to have this very promising medication covered under BC’s Pharmacare funding. Please take a few minutes and act now!
Lastly, please share this request and information with others within your networks who will benefit. The link to Roche Pharmaceutical’s media release regarding Faricimab can be found at:
Sincerely,
Rob Sleath – President
Access for Sight Impaired Consumers