Sandoz Canada announces first ever list of Top 100 most important medicines, from a clinical standpoint, for Canadian patients

• Working with a group of medical experts across the country, Sandoz Canada has put together a list of the Top 100 most important medicines from a clinical standpoint according to the criticality of the drugs and their prevalence of use within the Canadian population.
• With this new initiative focused on patients' access to medicines, Sandoz Canada continues its efforts to tackle drug shortages and identify sustainable solutions for a steady, reliable supply in the pharmaceutical industry.
• An affiliate of Sandoz AG (SIX:SDZ) (OTCQX:SDZNY) and a Canadian leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, Sandoz Canada is committed to pioneering access for patients.

BOUCHERVILLE, QC, Nov. 27, 2023 /CNW/ - Sandoz Canada is proud to release a list of the Top 100 most important medicines for the health and wellbeing of Canadians that should be prioritized for continuous supply in the country. Sandoz Canada wants to reduce the burden on healthcare professionals and ensure patients taking those drugs do not have to worry about availability and access. That's why Sandoz Canada assembled an expert group of physicians and pharmacists from different backgrounds and regions across the country, to help identify the Top 100 list based on criticality and prevalence of use within the Canadian population. Medicines identified in the list are supplied by various manufacturers, either brand or generic companies, and span various therapeutic classes.

Out of the Top 100 medicines, 25 molecules have been categorized as high risk of shortage. This means that 60 per cent or more of their supply is manufactured by either one or two sources and cannot be provided by other suppliers and/or have a history of supply shortages in Canada. Sandoz Canada wants to act as a catalyst and work with key stakeholders to identify the root causes of these shortages and develop sustainable solutions to address supply issues going forward.

Drug shortages and product discontinuations remain critical concerns within the Canadian healthcare system. On average, there are 242 shortage reports and 34 discontinuation reports per month.ⁱ

There are several complex factors that can cause drug shortages in Canada, including supply chain issues, labour-related challenges, and a lack of both manufacturing capacity and emergency stock in the face of increased demand.ⁱⁱ In addition, there are also economic causes such as pricing, regulatory and reimbursement that may impact pharmaceutical supply, according to Sandoz Canada's analysis.

Collaboration between public and private entities is imperative to ensuring that Canadians have access to the medicines they need.

"We are committed to pioneering access for patients. We want to reduce the burden on healthcare professionals and ensure that patients taking these drugs don't have to worry about availability," says Michel Robidoux, President and General Manager at Sandoz Canada. "With the Top 100 list, we're aiming to mitigate drug shortages by identifying the medicines that are most important for Canadians and developing actionable recommendations that can be implemented to address system burdens."

Out of the Top 100 medicines listed, 25 per cent of molecules are at a high risk for shortages, while 30 per cent are at a medium risk for shortages.

• Sandoz Canada supplies approximately 50 per cent of the Top 100 most important medicines
• 62 per cent injectables; 35 per cent oral; 3 per cent other

"By identifying the Top 100 medicines considered critical to Canadians, this initiative is the first step in tackling supply issues and sharpening the focus on a select number of molecules," says Dr. Régis Vaillancourt, Pharmacist and Chair of the initiative. "To meaningfully address drug shortages, ongoing public and private collaboration is key to ensuring that Canadians will have reliable, consistent access to the medicines they need."

"Collaborators from government, manufacturers and distributors have developed various strategies to prevent shortages to ease the enormous strain on the supply chain and ensure stability," says Angelique Berg, President and CEO at the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management. "With this Top 100 list, those strategies can be tested, bringing us closer to a sustained accessibility."

To view the full list of Top 100 medicines and those at high risk of shortage, click here.

This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside of the control of Sandoz. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sandoz undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

As a Canadian leader in off-patent medicines, Sandoz Canada has a product portfolio that includes over 700 generics and biosimilars spanning multiple therapeutic areas, such as anti-infective, cardiovascular, central nervous system, immunology and oncology. Last year, Sandoz products helped over 8 million patients in Canada (source: IQVIA 2022).

The company's 250 employees, who work at the Boucherville (QC) headquarters or on the national sales force, are on a mission to pioneer access to high-quality medicines for Canadians. Sandoz Canada is a trusted partner for pharmacists, physicians and hospitals for quality medicines, outstanding customer service and is committed to ensure reliable supply. For more information about Sandoz Canada, visit: www.sandoz.ca

Sandoz (SIX: SDZ; OTCQX: SDZNY) is the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: pioneering access for patients. 22,000 people of more than 100 nationalities work together to bring Sandoz medicines to some 500 million patients worldwide, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger total social impact. Its leading portfolio of more than 1,500 products addresses diseases from the common cold to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to the year 1886. Its history of breakthroughs includes Calcium Sandoz in 1929, the world's first oral penicillin in 1951, and the world's first biosimilar in 2006. In 2022, Sandoz achieved sales of USD 9.1 billion and core EBITDA of USD 1.9 billion.

SOURCE Sandoz Canada

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