Ontario, Canada (CU)_ Verity Pharmaceuticals Inc. is delighted to report that VERITY-BCG, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin [BCG]: Strain Russian BCG-I, has been approved for distribution. This approval implies that this vital medication will no longer be in limited supply in hospitals and clinics across Canada.
Ferg Devins, Survivor and Volunteer Chair of Bladder Cancer Canada, spoke about the drug shortage and expressed delight over the approval of the new supplier. He said, “Our patient community has faced the stress of realizing that there has been a shortage of BCG, which has resulted in a drug rationing approach at many institutions across Canada”. He added, “This announcement is truly a relief for all of us who have faced uncertainty resulting from this long term shortage. We are delighted that Health Canada has finally approved another supplier of BCG in Canada. It will greatly improve patient care”.
BCG – bacillus Calmette-Guérin is a well-established immunotherapy for bladder cancer. After the tumor excision in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, it is administered as first-line intravesical treatment. Many major BCG pharmaceutical producers have reported shortages or ceased manufacturing in the past decade, resulting in a global scarcity of the therapy. Verity teamed up with the Serum Institute of India, which produces BCG. The Serum Institute is the world’s largest vaccine producer.
Howard Glase, Chief Executive Officer of Verity Pharma, expressed…
