Screenshot of this press release from Bayer https://www.bayer.com/sites/default/files/en-biltricide-hc-company-led-risk-communication-letter-us-final-september-2025-with-appendix.pdf reading "Importation of US-labelled Biltricide (praziquantel) due to the discontinuation of Canadian-authorized Biltricide (praziquantel) September 2025 Dear: Healthcare professionals, including infectious disease and tropical medicine specialists, pharmacists and distribution partners Biltricide (praziquantal) has been discontinued globally. To help mitigate the discontinuation, Health Canada has permitted the exceptional, temporary importation and sale by Bayer Inc. of Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s USlabelled Biltricide (praziquantel). This imported product has an English-only label." with the sentence about global discontinuation highlighted in yellow

Had heard about shortages but unaware Bayer had discontinued #Biltricide globally👀.
Other #praziquantel manufacturers exist, but for a country like Canada, will another ever enter the market, and if not, will a once-approved #EssentialMedicine only be accessible via Special Access Program?
#NTDs

‘We were sitting with our calculator saying “we can afford that!”’ Joy for families as cystic fibrosis drug prices fall within reach The cost of medication was too high for thousands of CF sufferers around the world. Now a Bangladeshi company is making a generic version that will change lives

Vertex charges prices that made Trikafta/Kaftro a 10x blockbuster drug in 2025. That's greed, well beyond recouping R&D costs and a decent ROI.
(Plus in many countries they don't sell it at all).
Generics of this WHO #EssentialMedicine can save ⬆️lives in ⬆️places at a tiny fraction of the cost👍.
💊💰⚖️🌐

Screenshot from Health Canada's review database showing that Macleods Pharmaceuticals has filed an application for approval of Rifapentine

🚨👀💊In exciting, if overdue, news... a submission has been made to Health Canada for approval of #rifapentine (an #EssentialMedicine for #tuberculosis).

Screenshot of press release from Bayer on exceptional import of a supply of Biltricide (Praziquantel) labelled for "Middle Africa" to be sold in Canada to respond to a shortage.

Had missed the kinda unusual scenario where an #EssentialMedicine for #NTDs that actually IS marketed in Canada was in shortage and in turn the "exceptional importation and sale" of an alternate supply was permitted (same company/brandname but labelled for "Middle Africa"). #Praziquantel #Biltricide

Section of Health Canada guidance on fee waivers for drug evaluations saying fees may be waived for drugs on the List of Drugs for an Urgent Public Health Need.

Of note: as the ONLY drug💊currently on the List of Drugs for an Urgent Public Health Need, #rifapentine is the ONLY drug that currently qualifies for this Health Canada evaluation fee waiver. But Sanofi still can't be bothered to bring this #EssentialMedicine for #tuberculosis to market in Canada.

Excerpt from the report focusing on Sanofi products including rifapentine

New Access to Medicine Index is out: accesstomedicinefoundation.org/news/pharma-... Informative... but highlighting an #EssentialMedicine like #rifapentine - needed but not registered in Canada, UK, EU - also underscores value of looking beyond HIC/LMIC split at holistic global access solutions.💊🌐

#HepatitisC Drugs Added To #WHO List Of #EssentialMedicine l