delight over the announcement. He said, “Increasing global usage and demand of BCG has resulted in a limited and erratic supply for decades and Canada has had just one supplier since 2016. With the addition of VERITY-BCG to the Canadian healthcare system, Canada becomes the first country in the western world to solve the BCG shortage crisis. VERITY-BCG is an example of our expertise in supplying life-saving therapeutic options to help fulfill unmet patient needs.”
According to Bladder Cancer Canada, the fifth most prevalent cancer in Canada is bladder cancer, with over 12,000 Canadians diagnosed with it this year alone. Dr. Alexandre Zlotta, Department of Surgery, Division of Urology at University of Toronto, explained about the BCG drug and its usage in cancer treatment. He said, “BCG is a proven and effective adjunct to transurethral resection (TUR) and the gold standard of care”.
He also noted how the shortage of the drug affected the patients. He said, “It is used to help keep the cancer from coming back and potentially becoming life-threatening. It is also the best known immuno-oncological agent, used the last three decades. However, in the last years, BCG shortages were leading to rationing and dose reduction of this crucial bladder cancer drug with unfortunate impact on outcomes. Patients had delayed or sometimes even cancelled treatments. With the availability of VERITY-BCG, Canada’s multi-year BCG drug shortage will be a thing of the past as Canadian patients will now have full access to this well-established, safe and efficacious therapy. It will also foster further scientific studies and research.”
According to Amit Thatte, Director of Serum Institute Inc, the institution delivers BCG for bladder cancer instillations to over 21 nations across the world. Amit Thatte said, “As the manufacturer of the product, we are very pleased to partner with Verity Pharma for the approval and supply of Verity BCG to Canada. Serum Institute is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally and we take great pride in delivering a safe, efficacious, high-quality product to all of our partners. Our world-class research and production facilities are continuously upgraded to ensure compliance with all regulations and have been accredited by the World Health Organization. We are very happy to have our partnership with Verity Pharma and look forward to providing this life-saving therapy to Canada for years to come.”
The news was lauded by Ajay Bisaria, India’s High Commissioner to Canada. Ajay Bisaria expressed pride over the news. He said, “India is proud to support this effort to resolve the shortage of BCG in Canada. With more than 60 percent of global vaccine manufacturing capacity, India believes in vaccine internationalism. This collaboration between the Serum Institute of India and Verity Pharma is a clear demonstration of our commitment to global health.”
