AKYNZEO® Oral now covered by the Ontario, Quebec and Non-Insured Health Benefits public drugs plans

PICKERING, ON, July 10, 2019 /CNW/ - Purdue Pharma (Canada) is pleased to announce that AKYNZEO® Oral is now reimbursed by the Ontario Public Drug Program and the Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) and by the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program for the prevention of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).

CINV is an expected and feared side effect of chemotherapy which can have a significant impact on a patient's quality of life and willingness to continue with their chemotherapy treatment.  The effects of chemotherapy can vary from patient to patient, and severe nausea and vomiting can result in a loss of fluids and nutrients.

AKYNZEO® is a convenient combination therapy targeting two critical antiemetic pathways to provide long-lasting protection from CINV that is given approximately one hour before chemotherapy. As a simplified single dose formulation AKYNZEO® may also enhance patient compliance and improve adherence to guideline recommended prophylaxis.

David Pidduck, President and CEO, Purdue Pharma (Canada), commented: "We are very excited that this drug is now more accessible for patients in Ontario and Quebec as well as First Nations and Inuit patients across the country.  We believe AKYNZEO® is an important resource in cancer supportive care that will offer physicians and their patients a new option to help mitigate the distressing effects of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.  We will continue to work with other provinces to ensure that patients suffering from CINV across Canada have access to this very important treatment."

Reimbursement of AKYNZEO® in Ontario and Quebec and by the NIHB is provided under specific medication conditions, please see individual formulary listings for province specific criteria.

About AKYNZEO®
AKYNZEO® (netupitant/palonosetron), in combination with dexamethasone, is indicated for once per-cycle treatment in adult patients for the prevention of acute delayed nausea and vomiting associated with highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy as well as for the prevention of acute nausea and vomiting associated with moderately emetogenic cancer therapy that is uncontrolled by a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist alone. It is the first approved fixed dose oral combination agent that targets two critical signaling pathways associated with CINV by combining netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, and palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, in a single capsule for the prevention of CINV. The most common adverse events reported with AKYNZEO® in clinical trials were headache (3.6%), constipation (3.0%) and fatigue (1.2%).

AKYNZEO® has been recommended under the antiemetic guidelines of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of the world's leading cancer centers, both in highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) and moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC). It is also recommended in the Clinical Practice Guidelines from the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) as one of the therapeutic options to facilitate the application of antiemetic standard of care for patients receiving HEC regimens by preventing nausea and vomiting in both the acute and delayed phases following chemotherapy treatment.

Please consult the Product Monograph posted at www.purdue.ca for complete administration and safety information.

About Purdue Pharma (Canada) 
Purdue Pharma (Canada) is a research-based pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare company which has operated in Canada for more than 60 years. Its employees are committed to improving the health and quality of life of Canadians. The company has a broad portfolio of prescription and non-prescription medications including: prescription treatments for pain, ADHD, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) and various ophthalmic conditions, as well as Consumer Health products. The company supports evidence-based education for the safe use of its products. Privately held and founded by physicians, Purdue Pharma (Canada) is independently associated with the worldwide Purdue/Napp/Mundipharma network of companies. Learn more at www.purdue.ca.

SOURCE Purdue Pharma