The most exciting time ever in the history of the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Edward Keystone, MD, FRCPC
Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto
Director, The Rebecca MacDonald Centre for Arthritis and Autoimmune Disease, Mount Sinai Hospital

ATTEND THIS FREE LECTURE TO:

• Get an overview of rheumatoid arthritis and hear recent research updates
• Discover new treatment options to help better manage this disease
• Learn about the programs and resources offered by The Arthritis Society

DATE: Thursday , November 25, 2010
TIME: 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
LOCATION: InterContinental Hotel
Ballroom A and B
225 Front Street West, Toronto

Register today at 1.800.344.6926

Don’t miss out! Space is limited.

The_Arthritis_Society_-Keystone_Forum-_Nov_25_2010.pdf

Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) & The Société de recherche sociale appliquée /Social Research and Demonstration Corporation have commissioned a project to explore the employment experiences of people in Ontario who have disabilities and the capacity to work intermittently.

An important part of our research is a series of focus groups with people who have a disability and who experience irregular or intermittent employment. We are planning to hold focus groups in late November in Ottawa, Toronto and North Bay.

The focus groups themselves would last approximately two hours, and participants would receive a small honorarium ($30) in recognition of their time. As with all SRDC research, the focus groups will be conducted in accordance with the strictest requirements for ethical research practice, including protection of participants’ privacy and confidentiality.

Please contact Heather Fowler at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for further information.

You can also visit Social Research and Demonstration Corporation for more information about the Society.

ACTION Ontario invites you to attend:

Patient Input for System Change
A symposium on neuropathic pain

When: Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Where: MaRS Auditorium 101 College Street, Toronto

Refreshments will be served following the event.

For more information, and to RSVP, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Today is World Arthritis Day and although events in North America seem to be few and far between, take a look at what is happening around the world at World Arthritis Day Link

Executive Summary

Over the past two years, the Food and Drugs Act Liaison Office (FDALO) has:

• given a voice to stakeholders who have had difficulty being heard by the department;
• helped staff build competencies in better managing difficult relations with stakeholders;
• promoted openness and transparency in the regulatory process; and
• provided feedback on trends to contribute to the continuous business improvement of regulatory processes under the Food and Drugs Act.

  This report presents an overview of FDALO's activities during its first two years in operation and sets out key objectives for the way forward.

  See the report at: FDALO Report on Activities 2008-10

CAPA along with The Arthritis Society is asking patients for their input into their experience with a new drug for Gout.

A second drug indicated for arthritis (gout) - Febuxostat/Uloric (manufactured by Takeda) - is up for Common Drug Review consideration. This has triggered a request for submissions from registered patient groups. The Arthritis Society will be making a submission.

CAPA Members (and Concerned Canadians) are requested to help identify people who have had experience with this new drug or who have experience with gout and to ask them to provide input. The deadline for submission is Nov. 15 so to allow time for the submission to be prepared in the required format TAS will **need the input by Nov. 2. **

If you can help with this (or can forward this to people who are interested), please read the attached and respond directly to:

The Arthritis Society .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

10_10_03_Call_for_input_-_TAS.doc

Dads with Arthritis needed for Study

The University of British Columbia Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy & The Arthritis Research Centre of Canada

Your experiences as a father with arthritis may help inform future health care services. We want to hear from men who will complete a survey and tell us what they think about it. We seek men who:

• have inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoratic arthritis, juvenile arthritis or lupus),
• are fathers with at least one child under 21 years living at home (shared custody of children living with you part time is ok)
• live in Canada

To volunteer, or for more information, please phone us at 604-871-4564 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or the project’s summer research student Alana at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

UBC-ARC_Volunteers_Needed.doc

**ACTEMRA (tocilizumab) **- Risk of Fatal Anaphylaxis - Hoffmann-La Roche Limited

The first case of fatal anaphylactic reaction has been reported in association with the use of Actemra in a rheumatoid arthritis patient.

Actemra_PC_English.pdf

On September 13, the Canadian Health Coalition co-released with Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives a groundbreaking new report, The Economic Case for Universal Pharmacare. The report lays out the formula for a Pharmacare program that not only offers coverage to all Canadians, but could save up to $10.7 billon in spending. The report has garnered the endorsement of eminent doctors, economists and researchers.

We need you to take a moment right now and email the Prime Minister. It only takes 2 minutes. The Prime Minister needs to know that Canadians have waited long enough and expect the federal government to work with its provincial and territorial partners to provide the leadership required to create a fair and effective public drug plan for all Canadians.

Click here to email the Prime Minister

In solidarity,

– The Canadian Health Coalition Team

According to Health Canada

Excessive drinking of energy drinks or mixing them with alcohol can have serious health effects. Energy drinks are meant to supply mental and physical stimulation for a short period of time. They usually contain caffeine, taurine (an amino acid, one of the building blocks of protein), vitamins and glucuronolactone, a carbohydrate. Energy drinks should not be confused with sports drinks such as Gatorade® or Powerade®. Sports drinks re-hydrate the body and provide sugars, which the body burns to create energy and replenish electrolytes.

The It's Your Health article on Safe Use of Energy Drinks has been updated with new information and is now available online.

USA Today reports on "deals" between generic drug companies and brand-name pharmaceutical companies where the generic drug company delays introducing a generic in exchange for money. It's an interesting article. Legislators are planning to pass a bill preventing this in future. Could the same thing be happening in Canada?

The UK's Telegraph (8/25, Smith) reports that the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) "has said NHS patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can move from one drug to the next as each one stops working for them." Up until now, "there had been restrictions on switching between drugs, and the 40,000 people with the condition were left without any effective treatments once their existing medication stopped working."

In addition, NICE has approved a new drug called RoActemra (tocilizumab) to be used by RA patients when all other drugs tried "have failed or cannot be tolerated." Dow Jones Newswire (8/25, Stovall) also covers the story.

The European Commission, European Medicines Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently adopted a common application form for drug makers seeking orphan designation for their medicines. This will simplify the drug approval process and spur innovation by allowing companies to apply for approval of their new product in both the US and across Europe at the same time. In addition, this new process will help the regulatory agencies to better understand each other's systems. [1]

Read the article: Treatment of Rare Disorders

In contrast, patients and advocates in Canada have expressed concern that the Common Drug Review (CDR) – a government appointed agency that makes recommendations to provinces (with the exception of Quebec) regarding listing decisions for new drugs – is failing to provide patients with timely access to new medicines and failing to operate in an accountable fashion. The CDR process has recommended against reimbursement for every treatment evaluated for unmet needs.

In response to these concerns, the federal House Standing Committee on Health recently conducted a review of the CDR. The government recommendations include: [3]

• Establishing a specifically designed approach for the review of drugs for rare disorders and for first-in-class drugs;
• Creating a distinct appeal process with a separate group of experts; and
• Increasing the current level of public involvement in the CDR through public attendance at open CEDAC meetings and the creation of a public advisory body.

While these recommendations are encouraging, this review is non-binding and merely suggests that the CDR consider these suggestions. The extent to which CDR implements these, and other Committee recommendations, remains to be seen.

Rare Disorders
Despite the small numbers affected by each disease, there are up to 6,000 rare disorders which affect nearly 10% of the Canadian population, 30 million people in Europe and about 25 million Americans.

[1] http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2007-11-26T183432Z_01_L2677301_RTRUKOC_0_US-DRUGS-REGULATORS.xml

[2] Biotech Canada – Presentation to the House Standing Committee on Health (April 16, 2007)

[3] House Standing Committee on Health Report on the Common Drug Review (Dec. 2007) http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/cmte/CommitteePublication.aspx?COM=13189&Lang=1&SourceId=220278

According to a recently released report comparing international usage of prescription drugs, Canada ranks second-last (thirteenth out of 14 countries).

Canada Slow to Adopt Innovative Medicines

The report – Extent and Causes of International Variations in Drug Usage – was conducted for the UK Secretary of State for Health to determine whether the UK is adequately providing for the health needs of its citizens. The report noted that "Medicines play an important role in the management of most diseases. In recent years, there have been important changes in the drugs that are used to treat many conditions.

This has helped to make many conditions more treatable, thus improving patient outcomes." "... ensuring that are used appropriately has an important part to play in delivering high-quality, fair, safe and effective NHS services."

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CAPA urges you to become active in reminding politicians at all level that a good health care system is essential.

Your experiences as a father with arthritis may help inform future health care services. We want to hear from men who will complete a survey and tell us what they think about it. We seek men who:

• have inflammatory arthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoratic arthritis, juvenile arthritis or lupus),
• are fathers with at least one child under 21 years living at home (shared custody of children living with you part time is ok)
• live in Canada

Dr. Catherine Backman, a researcher at the Arthritis Research Centre and the University of British Columbia, is conducting a study on the Impact of Arthritis on Fathers. The first step is to see if the survey is easy to complete and results in useful information. Survey questions ask about parenting, arthritis symptoms, health, support from other people, and family characteristics.

Participation involves completion of a survey (by mail or on line) that takes up to 1 hour to complete.

Research_Protocol_outline-emailed.doc

On July 19, 2010 the Public Health Agency of Canada issued an update on the first Arthritis in Canada publication. Although progress is being made on interventions to reduce the impact of arthritis on Canadians, arthritis remains common, costly, and disabling. More than 4.2 million Canadians live with one or more of the 100 conditions that comprise arthritis. It is one of the leading causes of pain and physical disability in Canada and a major public health challenge. Arthritis may affect one’s daily activities, choice of career, social participation, relationships and family life, and economic status.

Life with Arthritis in Canada: A personal and public health challenge is designed to increase public awareness that arthritis is not simply a normal part of aging and the importance of prevention and timely management. Read and download the report at:

Life With Arthritis in Canada: A Personal and Public Health Challenge

This report, Life with Arthritis in Canada: A personal and public challenge is the second national surveillance report on arthritis. Using the most recent data sources available, it provides an overview of arthritis in the Canadian population and its wide-ranging impact. It also suggests approaches for reducing the risk of developing some types of arthritis (osteoarthritis and gout) in addition to minimizing disability and improving the quality of life of those living with any type of arthritis.

In 2007-2008, over 4.2 million Canadians (16%) aged 15 years and older reported that they had arthritis. With the aging population, this number is expected to increase to approximately 7 million (20%) in 2031. Arthritis was the second and third most common chronic condition reported by women and men, respectively. Overall, nearly two-thirds (64%) of those affected with arthritis were women. Nearly three in five people with arthritis were aged under 65 years.

Arthritis can have a major impact on individuals and families, with many individuals reporting fair or poor general and mental health, needing help with daily activities in addition to limitations in work, community, social and civic life. On average, over a quarter of men and women with arthritis between 25 and 44 years of age were not in the labour force because of their arthritis.