Majority of Canadians on Public Drug Plans Now Eligible for Coverage of PrVyepti® (eptinezumab) for the Prevention of Migraine

MONTREAL, Oct. 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Lundbeck Canada Inc. is pleased to announce that Vyepti^® (eptinezumab for injection) has recently received public formulary coverage from the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, and the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB)ⁱ. Combined, this coverage allows more than 70% of eligible Canadian patients living with migraine to have access to Vyepti® who rely on public drug plans for reimbursement of their treatments.

Indicated for the prevention of migraine in adults who have at least four migraine days per month, Vyepti^® is an important tool in the arsenal of treatment options available to Canadians. "Based on real-world data in Canada, we know that migraine puts a significant burden on the patient, family members and the healthcare system. It has a huge socioeconomic impact, yet it is still sub-optimally treated. New, affordable, effective, and well-tolerated treatments are important tools in reducing the burden of migraine and paving the path to further optimizing management of this disabling neurological disorder," said Dr. Farnaz Amoozegar, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Calgary and Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

The recent public formulary coverage of Vyepti^® removes a barrier to access for those seeking a new therapy solution in these provinces. "Equitable access to new treatment options across Canada is critical for those living with migraine," said Wendy Gerhart, Executive Director, Migraine Canada. "While this is great news for the many patients reliant on the public system in the majority of provinces, there remain gaps and inequities in other areas of Canada where patients need alternatives."

In addition, the majority of private healthcare plans offer coverage of Vyepti^® for eligible Canadians living with migraine. "Throughout our engagement efforts, we have heard both patients and healthcare professionals speak to the importance of new treatment options," said Michal Juul Sørensen, Vice President and General Manager, Lundbeck Canada. "This encouraging development in public coverage means that more Canadians can get the help they need. We thank the provinces and public decision makers who have shown their support."

About Vyepti ^®

Vyepti^® is indicated for the prevention of migraine in adults who have at least four migraine days per month.

Eptinezumab is a humanized immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) antibody that binds to human calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) ligand ^ii,iii,iv The efficacy and safety of Vyepti^® was demonstrated in two phase III clinical trials (PROMISE-1 in patients with episodic migraine and PROMISE-2 in patients with chronic migraine, which also included patients with a dual diagnosis of chronic migraine and medication overuse headache)ⁱⁱ. In both studies, Vyepti^® met its primary endpoint of decrease in mean monthly migraine days (MMD) over weeks 1-12.

The safety of Vyepti^® was evaluated in more than 2,000 adult patients with migraine who received at least one dose of Vyepti^®. The most common adverse reactions (≥2% and at least 2% or greater than placebo) in the clinical trials for the preventive treatment of migraine were nasopharyngitis and hypersensitivity reactions. 

For more information, including prescribing information, please consult the Vyepti^® Product Monograph or call Lundbeck Medical Information at 1-866-880-4636.

About migraine

Migraine is a complex and incapacitating neurological disease characterized by recurrent episodes of severe headaches, typically accompanied by an array of symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound. It is estimated to affect 4.5 million Canadians^v and more than 1.3 billion worldwide^vi and impacts twice as many women as men. ^v

Migraine is the second leading cause of years lived with disability (YLD) among all diseases and is the top YLD cause among patients aged 15 to 49 years, according to the Global Burden of Disease study.^vii

About Lundbeck Canada Inc.

Since 1995, Lundbeck Canada has been striving to improve the lives of Canadians living with brain diseases. As a subsidiary of H. Lundbeck A/S, a global pharmaceutical company specialized in brain diseases, we benefit from more than 70 years at the forefront of neuroscience research. We are tirelessly dedicated to restoring brain health, so every person can be their best.

Lundbeck's research programs tackle some of the most complex challenges in neuroscience, and our pipeline is focused on bringing forward transformative treatments for brain diseases for which there are few, if any therapeutic options. We are committed to fighting stigma and discrimination against people living with brain diseases and advocating for broader social acceptance of people with brain health conditions.

For additional information, we encourage you to visit our corporate website http://www.lundbeck.com/ca.

Dr. Farnaz Amoozegar, receives honoraria as a consultant of Lundbeck Canada Inc.

Vyepti^® is a registered trademark of H. Lundbeck A/S, used under license by Lundbeck Canada Inc.

References

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ⁱ Ontario Drug Benefit Program, accessed October 5, 2023.

Interactive Drug Benefit List, accessed October 5, 2023.

Liste des médicaments, accessed October 5, 2023.

New Brunswick Drug Plans Formulary Update, accessed October 5, 2023.

Nova Scotia Formulary, accessed October 5, 2023.

Drug Benefit List, accessed October 5, 2023.

ⁱⁱ VYEPTI^® Product Monograph. St-Laurent, QC: Lundbeck Canada Inc. September 19, 2023.

ⁱⁱⁱ Ashina M, et al. Eptinezumab in episodic migraine: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (PROMISE-1). Cephalalgia. 2020

Mar;40(3):241-54

^iv Lipton RB, et al. Efficacy and safety of eptinezumab in patients with chronic migraine: PROMISE-2. Neurology. 2020 Mar 31;94(13): e1365-77.

^v Migraine Canada. "Canadian Language Guide." languageguide-onepager-EN-finalweb.pdf (migrainecanada.org) Accessed October 11, 2023.

^vi Global Burden of Disease 2017 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017:
a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet 2018 Nov 10;392(10159):1789-1858.

^vii Stovner J, et al. Global, regional, and national burden of migraine and tension-type headache, 1990–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet 2018:17:954-76.

 

SOURCE Lundbeck Canada Inc.

For general media inquiries, contact: Stella Antonaras, Communications, Lundbeck Canada, [email protected]