Canada Pamela Fralick of Innovative Medicines Canada (IMC) advocates for a collaborative multi-stakeholder approach to better tackle rare diseases in Canada.   Especially in smaller provinces, it’s virtually impossible to predictably manage the affordability and accessibility of drugs necessary to treat rare disease Around the world, rare diseases are becoming easier…

Canada Marina Vasiliou took the reins as managing director of Biogen Canada in November 2017 after a long and varied career at MSD in a wide variety of geographies.   Canada’s biggest strengths are its diversity and openness—whether that is in health sciences or the culture itself Marina Vasiliou, Biogen Vasiliou…

Canada Diabetes Canada’s Jan Hux outlines how her organization has been able to shift from small, local programs to driving change at a much larger level via a ‘collective impact’ approach.   When I encountered the concept of collective impact in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, I realized the possibilities lay…

Canada A new white paper from Fasken law firm asserts that the early filing of patents for innovative products is crucial for companies hoping to succeed in the booming North American cannabis market   Canada’s decision to legalise cannabis for recreational use in 2018 is set to spur on the already…

Canada Canada is the only developed country with a universal healthcare system that does not provide universal coverage of prescription drugs. With a new national ‘pharmacare’ program being proposed to remedy this situation, Pamela Fralick of Innovative Medicines Canada outlines the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal on the table and…

Opinion Jan Hux, the president and CEO of Diabetes Canada calls for governments to place greater importance on partnerships with patient groups for the making of big decisions in healthcare.    The establishment of a multi-stakeholder group, including patient organizations and patient representatives, could provide feedback and public policy recommendations to…

Canada Durhane Wong-Rieger is the President & CEO of the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD). In her first article for PharmaBoardroom, Durhane explains the changing landscape for access to rare disease drugs in Canada and the actors involved in getting there.   The irony of the government processes, which, on…

Opinion Brian Hilberdink, President of Novo Nordisk Canada, calls for the Canadian government to encourage and invest in innovative biopharmaceutical companies in Canada.    I’ve often wondered how things would be if Canada had steadily continued a path of biopharmaceutical discovery and commercialization after Banting and Best’s breakthrough in 1921, and what…

Canada As the healthcare industry continues to hype about AI’s potential to be transformative, it is important to remember that even software can harbour a certain amount of unconscious bias. Carla Smith champions transformational strategy, governance, and policy in the health sector, particularly in the areas of digital health and health IT.…

Canada As the President of Innovative Medicines Canada, Pamela Fralick leads the industry association for Canada’s innovative pharmaceutical companies, working with its members and communities to ensure Canadians have access to the medicines they need when they need them. In her first article for PharmaBoardroom, Pamela calls for the regular assessment…

Canada The research areas in which Canada has the potential to excel are numerous, one being the world of genomics. The stem cell itself having been discovered in Canada, Marc LePage, president and CEO of Genome Canada, identifies great potential to attract more fundamental research into that domain in the future.…

Canada PharmaBoardroom’s list of personalities whose voices, opinions and decisions matter in Canadian pharma’s industry, regulatory affairs, reimbursement and pricing.     The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor Minister of Health  The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor was elected in October 2015 as a Member of Parliament in the riding of Moncton–Riverview–Dieppe. Ms…