According to the latest data reported on its website, the Common Drug Review (CDR) has continued its historic pattern by recommending against the listing of approximately 50% of the new drugs it reviewed in 2007.
CDR issued a total of 29 recommendations last year; 27 were recommendations based on submissions by manufacturers and 2 were recommendations resulting from requests for advice by participating public drug plans. Only one drug received a full listing recommendation. In 14 cases, CDR recommended partial listings, subject to specific criteria or conditions, or listing in a similar manner to drugs in the same therapeutic class by that drug plan. In the remaining 14 cases, CDR recommended that the drug not be listed at all. These trends are similar to the pattern of CDR recommendations in previous years.
The CDR also reports that a total of 19 drugs are currently under review.
In comparing the CDR recommendations with reviews by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) based on information published on the PMPRB's website, for the 29 drugs with CDR recommendations in 2007, 15 are reported by the PMPRB as being priced within its excessive price guidelines, eight are under review or under investigation and six have not been reported by the PMPRB to date.
The CDR is a federal/provincial/territorial (F/P/T) process to review the clinical efficacy and cost effectiveness of new drugs for purposes of recommending coverage under public drug programs. The PMPRB is a federal agency responsible for ensuring that the prices of patented medicines are not excessive.
The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) reports on the status of CDR submissions, maintains a searchable database, and publishes summary reports on recommendations. For access to these documents, please visit< http://www.cadth.ca/index.php/en/cdr
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