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JointHealth™ express   May 26, 2020

Quebec’s call for patient input on biosimilar rituximab (Sandoz) for rheumatoid arthritis

Quebec’s INESSS is looking for your input on biosimilar rituxumab (Sandoz) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Biosimilar rituximab (Sandoz) is now being considered for coverage under Quebec’s Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS). To help them make their recommendations, INESSS accepts input from patient organizations and groups, like Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE). Because patient input is vitally important to government decision-making about medications, we would like to gather your views and share them with INESSS.

These are the questions they are asking:
  1. How does rheumatoid arthritis affect patients’ quality of life? Which aspects cause the most difficulty? For example, the symptoms to control, and the impact of RA on daily activities, home, social, and work life.
  2. How does RA affect patients’ families and friends? For example, emotional and psychosocial effects, family balance, relationships and intimacy.
  3. What treatment(s) are patients using to manage their RA? Treatment refers to any form of intervention, such as medications, rehabilitation, psychological support or hospital procedures. For this section, consider the frequency, cost, access and administration of treatment therapies, related treatments (kinesiology, psychiatry), need for hospitalization, effectiveness of treatment therapies for controlling or diminishing the most difficult aspects of the disease, adverse effects, impacts on daily life, and concerns regarding long-term use of the existing treatment.
  4. What are the main expectations patients and their families have for the new treatment therapy under evaluation? For example, the effectiveness, ease of administration, accessibility, and adverse effects of the medication.
  5. For patients who have tried the medication therapy under evaluation, what effects did it have (positive or negative)? What differences did using this medication therapy make in their lives? Are there any benefits or drawbacks compared to currently available treatments?
  6. Do you have any additional information you want to share for this patient input?
If you live with rheumatoid arthritis or care for someone with rheumatoid arthritis, please send us your input by Thursday, June 11, so that we may make a submission by the June 15th deadline. Your input will be anonymous.

Please contact us at feedback@jointhealth.org to provide your input or arrange for a phone interview at 604-974-1366.