The governing body responsible for public health in Canada, Health Canada, has announced the approval of a generic version of the medication Celebrex, for the symptomatic relief of pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, in a press release. Teva-Celecoxib is commercialized by a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., called Teva Canada Limited, and is already available in pharmacies in Canada.
Teva-Celecoxib was originally indicated for the short-term treatment of adult patients who suffer from musculoskeletal and/or soft tissue trauma, including sprains, postoperative orthopaedic, and pain following dental extraction, as well as for the management of moderate to severe, acute pain. Now, Teva-Celecoxib is approved for pain management in rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
“Arthritis is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions and the economic impact on the Canadian economy in healthcare costs and lost productivity is estimated by The Arthritis Society to be $33 billion each year,” said Senior Vice President and General Manager at Teva Canada Limited, Doug Sommerville. “Teva Canada is very pleased to be able to offer our more affordable, bioequivalent version of Celebrex to patients today.”
The annual net sales of Celebrex registered a total of $151 million in Canada, according to the IMS Brogan sales data from September 2014. “New generic launches in Canada over the last three years have saved patients and payers more than $2.3 billion versus the cost of the equivalent brand name drug product – and with today’s launch, we are demonstrating our ongoing commitment to playing a critical role in ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system,” added Sommerville.
The three additional conditions – rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis – that can now be treated with generic drug, Teva-Celecoxib, are the most common types of diseases under the group of diseases called arthritis, which translates to inflamed joints. Currently, one out of every six Canadians, 15 years old and older suffer from a form of arthritis. This means more than 4.6 million Canadians can potentially benefit from better medication accessibility through a cheaper alternative. These numbers are estimated to increase to 7.5 million Canadian adults by the year 2036.
