Dear Ontario aHUS families,
As you may be aware, the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care in Ontario recently announced that the Province would provide “interim” funding for eculizumab (Soliris) for aHUS patients who meet “defined clinical criteria.” This announcement was made on February 25, 2015, the day of our aHUS Action day at the Ontario Legislature. aHUS Canada has received the funding criteria (please see attachment) from the Ontario Public Drug Programs (OPDP), but we are not yet certain as to which patients will qualify for access.
When our group met with the Executive Officer of OPDP, she encouraged patients to ask their physicians to apply/reapply for eculizumab access through the EAP process. Therefore, aHUS Canada would like to encourage all Ontario patients to ask their specialists to apply or reapply for access to eculizumab on their behalf through Ontario’s Exceptional Access Program (EAP).
aHUS Canada has sent Ontario aHUS physicians a copy of the criteria, though its contents should not deter aHUS specialists from submitting on a patient’s behalf. Requests must come from, or be in consultation with a nephrologist, a pediatric nephrologist, a hematologist or a pediatric hematologist.
If an EAP application for access to eculizumab is approved, the funding will be provided through Ontario’s Trillium Drug Program. In order to receive coverage, the patient must be eligible to receive benefits under the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program. Patients are requested to apply to the Ontario Trillium Drug Program. More information on the Trillium Drug Program is available online.
Should you have any questions about your EAP application for eculizumab, we suggest that you contact the OneSource Patient Support program directly at 1-888-765-4747. In addition to offering no-charge disease education and treatment support to Canadians living with aHUS, their Nurse Case Managers can also assist you in navigating the EAP application process.
While this is not the long-term funding solution aHUS Canada originally sought, this is an important opportunity for our community to test the interim funding process. As such, we would appreciate any updates from patients as to whether or not their applications were accepted. Please feel free to contact us at info@ahuscanada.org to share any news or if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Margriet Eygenraam
Secretary, aHUS Canada
Links & Contacts: Ontario’s Exceptional Access Program: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/drugs/programs/odb/opdp_eap.aspx
Trillium Drug Program: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/drugs/programs/odb/opdp_trillium.aspx
OneSource Patient Support program: 1-888-765-4747