[OTTAWA] January 5, 2022 – The continued economic and health challenges Canada
is facing during the pandemic underscore the importance of a strong and resilient
biotech innovation sector which is not only charged with delivering necessary
therapeutic and vaccine solutions for COVID-19, as well as being a cornerstone for
Canada’s economic recovery. As the Government of Canada has delayed the cominginto-force of the Regulations Amending the Patented Medicines Regulations, Minister
Duclos rightly cited ‘this delay provides additional time for impacted stakeholders,
including industry … to continue to focus their efforts on responding to the
unprecedented challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.’
The industry also agrees with Minister Duclos, and indeed looks forward to using the
additional time for further engagement on ‘these amendments within the changing
pharmaceutical landscape’. The industry looks forward to collaborating with the
government, building on recent investments to develop a more sustainable path
forward supporting access to emerging technologies, an affordable healthcare
system and the growth of Canada’s biotech ecosystem more broadly.
In the 2021 federal budget, the federal government earmarked over $2 billion to
support the implementation of a biomanufacturing strategy and grow the investment
pool in Canada. This makes good public policy sense while also presenting an
important and timely opportunity to accelerate the growth of Canada’s biotech sector
beyond merely an emergency response during the next crisis. The industry
recommends using the implementation delay to work with the government towards
providing a more holistic policy approach for the sector which recognizes the
interconnectivity of the ecosystem which includes early-stage biotech companies and
large multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Reference: Statement from the Minister of Health
For more information:
Nadine Lunt
Nadine.lunt@biotech.ca